Maka'u
by HipsterMaybe
Summary: One member of Five-0 is kidnapped and forced to face his worst fears. His team searches for him desperately. Time is running out. A sadistic killer hell bent on revenge watches his plan unfold. Rated T. I own nothing but the plot I came up with. Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So, we're now in Australia for our honeymoon! It's like early in the morning here, but we wanted to walk on the beach before it got busy! Mitch and I wrote this on the plane ride here. This will be my next multi-chapter fic! I know. I should finish Jersey Style first, but I just can't wait! Some aspects of the story may be similar to other stories or shows you may have seen, but I promise, I'm not plagiarizing! This came to as I was thinking about Danny's claustrophobia and it kind of grew into this idea for a story. Hope you guys like this!**

"Hey, Danny. Where are you? We got a case." Steve asked. He thought it was odd that his partner hadn't shown up for work yet.

"_Sorry, traffic is a killer this morning. Why don't I just meet you there?_"

"That works. The body was found at Waimea Bay."

"_Alright, see you s-_" abruptly, Danny's voice dissolved into the screech of crunching metal and shattering glass.

"Danny? Danny!" Steve yelled into the phone. There was no reply. "Danny!" he tried again, but with the same result. Heart pounding now, he burst out of his office and ran towards his teammates. "Kono, get a trace on Danny's phone right now!" She did as she was asked without hesitation, but her eyes reflected the fear she felt. Chin voiced this fear.

"Steve, what's going on?"

"I think Danny's been in an accident. He was driving and I heard what sounded like a collision and now he's not answering."

"Got it! It looks like he's at the intersection of the Pali Highway and South Vineyard Boulevard." Kono said, already grabbing her keys. Moments later, they were on the road, sirens blaring and racing towards their friend. The body at Waimea Bay completely forgotten. When they arrived on see, it was clear that the Camaro was beyond repair. The car lay upside down and smoking. Steve ran through the crowd and slid to his knees next to the driver's side window.

"Danny!" he yelled, but when he looked down, he was the window was gone. The shattered glass around it had been disturbed already. He crouched lower and peered into the vehicle, but only Danny's blood remained where the driver should have been. Steve's heart was ready to beat out of his chest at this point. Trying to stay calm and think objectively, he ran up to some of the more coherent looking witnesses.

"Where's the driver of the car? What happened here?"

"Some giant truck with like a grate of some sort on the front just slammed into that Camaro. Then two guys got out of the truck and hauled him out."

"What did they do with him?" They put him the backseat of their car. The driver of the Camaro was still unconscious."

"You saw him? Can you describe his injuries at all?" The man nodded.

"Uhh, I think his head was bleeding. Probably smacked it on the window or something. His arm also looked kind of funny. I'm no doctor, but I think it might've been broken." Steve took a deep breath and tried to quell his rising panic.

"Ok, can you describe the truck?"

"Sure can. Big F150. Dark blue, I think. Like I said before, it had this weird metal thing on the front. The truck took like no damage because of that thing." Steve nodded. He had seen attachments like those used before. Ruined whatever they hit, but the truck usually made it out without a scratch.

"Alright, just give your statement to one of the officers over there." The man nodded then walked towards the group of cops trying to form a barrier.

"Steve!" Kono yelled, running toward him. She and Chin had only just arrived. Their slower arrival may have had something to do with the fact that they followed the laws and Steve drove on the sidewalk part of the way to avoid traffic. "What happened? Where's Danny?" Steve swallowed painfully.

"Someone intentionally rammed into his car. Then they dragged him out. Danny's been kidnapped." Kono covered her mouth and Chin's eyes widened.

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Danny came to slowly. His head felt leaden and his taped shut. What finally brought him into consciousness was the sharp, stabbing pain in his right arm. He winced and tried to bring it up to his chest, but it hit something hard before it made it that far. Once more, he tried to move, but he found that his movements were restricted by the cramped space he was in. Gathering enough energy, he peeled open his eyes and what he saw terrified him. He was in a small, wooden box. Pine, by the smell of it. The tiny space was lit only by a small digital timer mounted near his feet. Willing his eyes to focus, he stared in horror at the seconds ticking down in front of him. 12:30:28…12:30:27…12:30:26. Panic bubbled up within him as he read the words around the timer, scrawled out in blood.

_"Burn your fears in the eyes of death_

_collapsing dreams, dominating power_

_summoning lightning storms under silent breath_

_burning the weak under the church bell tower._

_Armies of god rumbling in the distance_

_through the forest seeking my radiance_

_shining into lost souls of the all mighty one_

_dark rivers of blood streaming toward the sun ._

_Sun rises full of memories , enchanted stories_

_as carcasses disintegrate into the earth's crust_

_death became my living glory_

_until I meet my fate I'll be swirling up the dust._

_Taking satanic rituals into society's eyes_

_re-writing the holy book of lies_

_creating a new path for man kind_

_where only honor you can find."_

He remembered those words. Not by choice. No, they were seared into his mind. The last time he had heard them…he couldn't bear to think of it. The walls of the box were closing in on him now, threatening to crush him. The light cast the shadows of his worst fears onto the sides of his prison. His breathing sped up and it seemed to him the timer did too. With the strength of a desperate man, he pounded on the sides of the box, ignoring the pain in his broken arm. He scratched at the lid until his fingers came away bloody. The fear that had been swelling inside now consumed him as he screamed in terror.

"Help! Somebody, please! Help!"

**Interested?** **Poem is "My Fate" by Demonic Inferno. Or that's what the website said, anyway. Title translates to 'Fear' by the way.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers! It's 6:40 am, Sunday here in Sydney, Australia. It is a balmy 63 degrees, but it's supposed to get warmer later today. It's a little cloudy, but it's still just so beautiful! After breakfast, we plan to go to the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium and maybe to the Featherdale Wildlife Park. But for now, we're resting up from the reception last night (Saturday kind of disappeared because of the time differences). We plan to stay in bed watching the gorgeous view out our window until at least ten o'clock. What better thing to do in bed than to write together?**

**Oh, and a big thank you to all of you who wished us a happy wedding! That was so incredibly sweet of you!**

Danny's screams went unanswered. He had gone silent now, mostly due to the fact that he had no voice left with which to express his terror anymore. His arm throbbed with the abuse it had taken, but Danny was glad for the pain. It was a distraction from the situation. Every minute he spent down there was worse than the last. He could feel the threads that were his sanity unravelling in his mind. His breaths came quick and shallow. His stomach twisted painfully and nausea rose sickeningly inside him. His head spun as the walls seemed to inch closer and closer to him.

"Gotta get out." He muttered. He began trying to push his way out again, but every time the wooden sides of the box refused to yield to him, the space seemed to get smaller. His breathing quickened and his heart hammered painfully. "Gotta get out! Gotta get outta here! Help me! Please! Steve! Get me out, please! Need to…can't…have to…gotta get out! Help me…I gotta get out! Please! Can't…c-can't breathe! Steve, please!" In his panicked state, he screamed for his partner to help him. If anyone could get him out, it would be him. As much as he joked about Steve not being invincible, a part of him believed that there was very little the man could not do. Certainly he could open up this box. But just like before, no one answered him. The rational part of his brain knew he needed to calm down, to conserve his air, but that part was not in control right now. The animalistic part was in charge, desperately trying to free itself. Sweat ran down his back and beaded on his forehead. His breathing sped up even more as he desperately tried to get enough air into his lungs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A familiar voice drawled from a speaker just above the timer. Danny froze. "Not much air in here. I wouldn't be wasting it."

"No…" Danny whispered, eyes widening in fear.

"Yes, Daniel. Surprised?"

"No…you're dead."

"Death. Funny thing, isn't it? What is it I used to say? 'Death became my living glory'." The voice read, speaking the bloody words near Danny's feet. Danny shied even further away from the gruesome poem. "You shouldn't fear blood, Danny. It's her blood. I know you remember her. I know I do. The small body, almost bird-like in its fragility. The sun-kissed skin. The glossy brown hair. Those big brown eyes. So very much like little Gracie." His daughter's name rolling off the tongue of such an evil man sent Danny over the edge again. He screamed and pounded on the walls of the box as loud as he could, but the laughter from the speaker could still be heard. "The air is _thinning_." The voice trilled to the tune of 'It's Raining, It's Pouring'. "Danno is _dying_. The clock is _ticking_. I am _winning_."

"Shut up! Stop it! Just stop it!"

"Steve better _hurry_. Police better _scurry_. Your vision's getting _blurry_. You can't stop _me_." The voice rhymed again, louder this time. Not a sound reached the ground above, but inside the wooden prison, screams and taunting filled the air.

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Steve took a deep breath and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. He was pacing nervously, waiting for Fong to tell him what he'd found on the Camaro.

"Ok…alright alright alright alright. Focus. Focus, Steve. Panicking won't help Danny." He muttered, trying to stay calm, which he was finding damn near impossible.

"Steve! I got something!" Fong called from the doorway of the Five-0 offices. He sprinted over to Steve, carrying a small plastic bag.

"Charlie, tell me you have something we can use." Steve replied, hardly daring to get his hopes up.

"I have a partial finger print. It's not enough to run, but it's enough to compare if we get another usable print. My other techs are still looking for one."

"So what's in the bag?"

"A baby moniter. This thing's been modified to have an extremely long range. It's also been made so that only the person who has the signal code can turn this on. It was lying on the seat. I think this was left by the kidnappers." Steve's eyes widened.

"This how they're going to communicate with us." He didn't phrase it as a question, but Charlie nodded his confirmation anyway.

"I believe so. I think it's one way, meaning they can talk to us, but we can't talk to them. With a little time though, I might be able to change that. These guys are smart, using this. It's secure and untraceable to the common hacker."

"Charlie, please tell me you're better than the common hacker." Steve asked hopefully.

"No worries, boss. I'm already working on it, but I though you should keep this with you in case the kidnapper calls. You can touch it. I've already gotten everything I can from it."

"Thanks, Charlie."

"Whatever I can do to help." Steve flashed him a grateful smile before he left. A few minutes later, Chin and Kono reentered the offices. They had been at HPD briefing the other cops on the kidnapping.

"Steve! We got anything?" Chin asked.

"Sort of." He replied, explaining what Fong had found.

"Great, so they have total control of the situation." Chin remarked.

"Yes, but at least this proves they're willing to talk. The Governor agreed to fund the ransom this time. Apparently some of his fundraiser's have been for an emergency ransom fund. He says there's quite a bit of money in the account."

"What happened to not negotiating with terrorists?" Kono said bitterly, remembering what they had done and how she had paid to save Chin's life. She had never resented the action, just the unfair consequences. Steve gave her and understanding squeeze on the arm.

"He said he's learned from that mistake."

"'Bout time." Chin muttered darkly. Suddenly, the baby monitor crackled to life.

"Hello, Steve." A dreamy voice greeted. "Don't bother answering. This is a one way radio unless I change the setting on my end. So, I suppose you're wondering who I am, where's Danny, what do I want, blah blah blah blah blah. All that stuff. But it would be so _boring_ if I just told you, now wouldn't it? Sorry, Stevie. This isn't a ransom call." Steve shared a look with Chin and Kono. "However, I am not an evil man. I'll let you hear the sound of his voice. Here, take a listen." There was the crackle of static, then the most chilling scream Steve had ever heard.

"Gotta get out! Gotta get outta here! Help me! Please! Steve! Get me out, please! Need to…can't…have to…gotta get out! Help me…I gotta get out! Please! Can't…c-can't breathe! Steve, please!" Danny voice begged from the other end. Steve had to grip the table to stay upright. The fear and hopelessness in his partner's voice nearly broke him. As he begged for Steve to help him, his anger at the man who had done this grew. He heard what sounded like someone pounding on a door, then the same taunting voice that had spoken to them spoke to Danny. His words clearly scared the detective out of his mind and the screaming and pounding resumed. Over the cacophony of fear, Steve could hear the sickening song of the twisted man responsible for his brother's terror.

""The air is _thinning_. Danno is _dying_. The clock is _ticking_. I am _winning_."

"Shut up! Stop it! Just stop it!" Danny's scream was like a knife to the heart.

"Steve better _hurry_. Police better _scurry_. Your vision's getting _blurry_. You can't stop _me_." There was no doubt in Steve's mind who that last line was meant for.

"This son of a bitch is playing with us."

**Well, we got a good start on this today. Now Mitch and I need some alone time :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the little mistake in Chapter 1. Whoops! Thanks Irene Claire for catching that! And alright, whoever you are, Random Guest Reviewer. You caught us. We're not in Sydney yet. Lots of flight delays and layovers, but we had said we were going on a honeymoon and you all had been so happy for us, we didn't want you to think our honeymoon was ruined by a little speed bump so we put what we planned to do in the author's note. Nah, in actuality, we're sitting in a little diner right now, waiting for our next flight. Sorry for the lie, we just didn't want to disappoint you. I promise, tomorrow, we'll be in Australia soaking up some rays!**

The monitor fell silent, plunging the room into an eerie quiet. Kono lowered herself into a chair and wiped away the tears coursing down her cheeks. Chin had gone stock still, but his eyes flashed with dangerous anger. Steve held the table with a white knuckled grip, shaking with fear, anger, and guilt. He was breathing heavily and his heart was going a million miles an hour. After a moment, Kono collected herself.

"Steve?" she asked gently, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. She almost pulled away when she felt the tension coursing through the man. "Steve, come on. This won't help Danny."

"Kono's right." Chin said at last. "This guy is leaving us a riddle. We can solve this." Steve willed his heart to slow and his breathing to even out.

"He's panicking." Steve said quietly.

"I know. We'll find him." Kono soothed, but Steve shook his head.

"No, I mean he's truly panicking. He may rant about everything under the sun, but there are very few things he actually panics about."

"What are you getting at?" Chin asked. He could tell Steve was on to something, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

"He's holding Danny somewhere small and cramped. Probably underground." Steve said with certainty.

"How can you tell?" Kono asked.

"Danny's claustrophobic. Like I said, there's very few things he panics about, but being in a small space is one of those things. Underground is even worse. Remember when we got trapped in that cave in a few months ago? He kept saying that he had to get out and that he couldn't breathe. He would bang on the walls trying to escape. That's what it sounded like to me and if this guy really wanted to torture Danny, that'd be the way to do it." Steve said, his eyes hard and cold. Chin looked sick at the thought.

"God, this guy's a sick bastard." Chin whispered, disgusted.

"So, who are we dealing with?" Kono asked. "Who would want to do this to Danny?"

"Feels like revenge to me." Steve reasoned aloud. "Someone he put away maybe…wait. Didn't Danny say something about thinking this guy was dead?" Steve recalled.

"Yeah!" Chin said, snapping his fingers. "So he knows this guy. Maybe it was someone he tried to put away once."

"That makes sense." Kono agreed. "He also mentioned something about a little girl he had killed. I didn't really understand it, but I bet if we went through Danny's old cases we could find something that matches what our kidnapper described." Steve's eyes widened.

"I could kiss you right now, Kono Kalakaua." He muttered in praise. "Chin, get on the phone with Newark PD and get all the records of Danny's old cases sent here. Kono, I need you to get the ones from his time with HPD." They both nodded.

"What are you gonna do?" Kono asked.

"I need to go get Grace and Rachel into protective custody. If this guy wants revenge, who knows how far he'll go?"

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The speaker had fallen silent. The only sound in the tiny box now was Danny's labored breathing. He felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. The walls seemed to be getting much closer and no matter how hard he pushed them back, they just kept advancing. He could feel himself weakening now and it scared him. He was exhausted and dehydrated and his arm hurt like hell. He longed for a gulp of fresh air and a tall glass of cool, clean water, but he knew that would never happen with Madson running the show. He closed his eyes tight to shut out reality, but it was too late. He already knew what lay beyond his lids. His head was pounding now and he managed to bring his left hand up to massage his temple. He nearly threw up when it came away wet and sticky. Soon the smell of blood was all around him like he'd never noticed before. Since he had graduated from the academy, he had been surrounded by blood every day. Why did it suddenly matter now? Madson's words echoed through his head. _Danno is dying._

"No." he whispered. He couldn't give up. Grace needed him. He couldn't do what Madson wanted. Taking one last deep breath, Danny put a lid on his fear and stilled his trembling body. He allowed his muscles to relax and filled his mind with thoughts of Grace and only Grace. Little by little, his heat rate slowed and his breathing became measured and even.

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Heart still racing, Steve rang the doorbell to the Edwards' house. Stan was currently in Vegas closing a deal, so only Rachel and Grace would be home. _Just as well_, Steve thought. Stan was stubborn and would only complicate matters. A moment later, the door swung open to reveal Rachel, beautiful as ever.

"Steve. What are you doing here? Is Danny alright?" she asked, instantly concerned. Steve couldn't meet her gaze.

"Is Grace at school?" Steve asked. He wanted to make sure that Grace wouldn't hear this.

"No, she's upstairs sleeping. She had a headache this morning. Is Danny alright?" she asked again, letting him inside. Steve shook his head.

"Rachel, he's been kidnapped."

"Oh my God." She whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. "Who…who took him?"

"We don't know yet."

"What do they want? We have money. I can pay the ransom!"

"Whoever took him isn't interested in money. He…Rachel, right now we believe he's keeping Danny in a small space, possibly underground."

"But, his claustrophobia-"

"I know. I…I heard. The kidnapper contacted us and made us listen to Danny. He wasn't taking it well."

"If it's not money, what does this person want?" Rachel asked.

"He didn't say, but right now we're working the theory that he's after revenge."

"Oh, Danny…" she breathed, tears tracing lines down her cheeks.

"Rachel, I need to take you and Grace into protective custody. It's what Danny would want." She nodded. "Okay, why don't you go pack a bag and…"

"And?" she prompted.

"Before you wake Grace, I need to ask you a question. Do you remember a case Danny once worked that involved a little girl's death. A little girl that may have looked a lot like Grace?" Steve asked. Rachel paused and swallowed hard, then nodded.

"It was one of the first cases he worked here in Hawaii with Meka. The girl's name was Hayley Caswell. I don't much beyond that, but I hope that gives you somewhere to start." She said, then left to go pack a bag for her and Grace.

**Not much action in this chapter, but there will be soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, we are finally in Australia. It's so nice and warm!**

_"Danno! Look what I can do!" Grace shouted happily. Smiling broadly, she threw herself forward and did a cartwheel._

_"Wow! That was incredible, Monkey! Where did you learn that?" Danny asked, his face alight with joy._

_"My friend, Emmie, showed me! You try!"_

_"Me? I can't do a cartwheel!" _

_"Yes you can! Come on, Danno! Try!" She said, giggling as she pulled her father off of the bench. She flashed him a radiant smile, made cuter by the fact that several teeth were missing and one was on the verge of falling out._

_"Okay, okay. But I'll need a teacher." Danny said with a wink._

_"I can teach you!" Grace exclaimed. "Okay, what you do is you stand up straight, then put your legs a little bit apart. Like this, see?"_

_"Alright, what next?" Danny asked._

_"Put your arms up and make your hands face up like a waiter's."_

_"Am I doing it right?"_

_"Mmhhhhmmm!" Then you fall forward and push yourself off with your feet. After that, you kind of roll on your hands. Now watch me." She demonstrated a perfect cartwheel, landing gently on her feet. "You try!"_

_"Okay, Monkey." Danny knew it wouldn't be pretty, but he tried anyway. As expected he landed in a heap on the grass._

_"Danno! Are you okay?"_

_"Am I okay? I just made a fool of myself in front of my expert daughter!" Danny said with a laugh. Grace laughed too and soon she was sitting on the ground next to her father. Determined to keep the smile on his daughter's face, Danny pulled her into his arms and began to tickle her. She laughed and laughed, a sound like music to Danny's ears._

"Danno! Help me!" Grace's small, scared voice shattered his happy memory. His eyes flew open, but all he could see were the walls of the pine box around him.

"Grace? Grace, baby, where are you?" Danny called hoarsely. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, but he had to answer her.

"Danno, please! He's hurting me!" her voice cried again. This time, Danny could tell it was coming through the speaker.

"No!" He screamed. "Let her go, Madson! She didn't do anything!" Danny heard Madson chuckle softly before Grace resumed her screaming. Danny screamed along with her, pleading for Madson to leave Grace alone. Abruptly, the screams stopped and Danny heard a wet thud of a body hitting the floor.

"Grace! Grace! What did you do? You son of a bitch, WHAT DID YOU DO?" Danny bellowed.

"Gracie is _screaming_. Gracie is _crying_. Gracie is _hurting_. Gracie is _dying_." Madson taunted.

"Don't touch her!"

"The clock is _ticking_. Danno is _shaking_. Steve is _looking_. Steve's _not finding_." Madson's song became more gleeful with every line. "How are you doing down there, Danny? I'll tell you what you need to do. Relax. Just relax. When I need to relax, I think about small, cramped spaces. I think about being trapped in my own tiny box where no one can hear me. I think about walls coming closer…closer to me until they squish me. They push in and the crush you. Your head is about to pop. Your eyes are going to be blown outta your skull-"

"Stop! Stop! Get me out of here! Let me out!"

"Oh, I forgot. That claustrophobia, man. It's a killer."

"Need to…gotta…can't breathe…have to get…out! Steve, help me!" Danny's breathing was short and gasping and his heart had sped up again.

"6:18:22…6:18:21…6:18:20…6:18:19…6:18:18…"As Madson counted down the seconds remaining, Danny began to pound on the walls again with his arms, his feet, even his head.

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"Steve, are Rachel and Grace safe?" Chin asked as Steve strode back into HQ.

"Yeah. I got HPD's finest guarding them."

"Good. We've been looking through his old cases, but we haven't found anything yet." Kono said disappointedly.

"Don't worry. I talked to Rachel and she said that what I described sounded like a case from his time as a detective with HPD." Chin began paging through the box of files that had been sent over. "She also said the victim's name was Hayley Caswell." Chin nodded and kept looking.

"Cass, Caster, Caston, Caswell! Here we go." He said, handing the file over to Steve, who read the major points aloud.

"Hayley Faith Caswell, age eight. Wow, she does look like Grace. She was abducted on her way home from school on September 8th, 2010. Danny was the lead detective on the case. After a week of no leads, her body was found on the sidewalk where she was taken. She was wearing a white dress and around her, written in blood, was this creepy poem."

"What do you mean, creepy poem?" Kono asked. Steve frowned, then read it off.

"_Burn your fears in the eyes of death_

_collapsing dreams, dominating power_

_summoning lightning storms under silent breath_

_burning the weak under the church bell tower._

_Armies of god rumbling in the distance_

_through the forest seeking my radiance_

_shining into lost souls of the all mighty one_

_dark rivers of blood streaming toward the sun ._

_Sun rises full of memories , enchanted stories_

_as carcasses disintegrate into the earth's crust_

_death became my living glory_

_until I meet my fate I'll be swirling up the dust._

_Taking satanic rituals into society's eyes_

_re-writing the holy book of lies_

_creating a new path for man kind_

_where only honor you can find._"

"God, that's disturbing." Chin said with obvious disgust. "What else does the file say?"

"Uhhh, Danny started looking into the killer and he found twelve other murders from around the country matching this guy's MO exactly. Danny made the connection between these cases and was the first to brand him as a serial killer. Shortly after that, he started getting calls from this guy, taunting him about his latest victim. He had taken another little girl, Iris Caldwell. Using the clues the killer gave him, Danny was able to figure not only who the killer was, but where he was holding the girl."

"Who was the killer?"

"James Madson, a thirty-two year old children's surfing instructor. Danny found Madson and Iris at his cottage in Waipahu. He got Iris out of there, but Madson fled."

"Did they ever find him?" Chin asked. Steve nodded.

"Yeah, a week later, he called Danny. He said that Danny's the only one he could talk to. They tracked Madson's cell to a hunting shack out in the forest, but by the time they got there. Madson had burnt up the place with him inside. They found his remains in the shack and buried him in a potter field. Before he died, he talked to Danny on the phone. There's a transcript of the conversation here." Steve flipped the page, then read the transcript.

"James Madson: It's raining, it's pouring. My house is burning.

Detective Williams: Madson, get out of there now! We can talk about this.

James Madson: Sorry, Danny, no can do. Don't worry, though. This isn't goodbye.

Detective Williams: What do you mean, this isn't goodbye?

James Madson: Death will become my living glory. This is not the end. I used to fear death, you know. But I've overcome that. That's what I did for my little angels. I helped them overcome their fears. Hayley feared the dark, but after a week without light, she embraced it. Someday, you'll face your fears, Danny. I can help you.

Detective Williams: Not a chance, Madson."

"That all?" Kono asked.

"Yeah. It says here he started screaming after that. CSU reckoned he caught fire at that point." Steve replied.

"So, did the coroner actually make a positive ID on this guy, or did they just assume the remains were Madson's?" asked Chin.

"No. The chief coroner at the time was under a lot of pressure to confirm it was Madson and put the public at ease, so he skipped the autopsy and dental record identification and said it was Madson based on size." Steve said, shaking his head angrily. "Seriously? I guarantee that that wasn't Madson's body! It has to be him doing this to Danny. It fits. In the transcript, he said he'd help Danny face his fears one day." Chin and Kono paled as they realized what was happening.

"He's making Danny face his fears." Kono stated sadly. Just then, the baby monitor on the table crackled to life.

"Hello, Five-0! Since you are all such a smart bunch, I bet you've figured a few thing  
out by now. Yes, I am James Madson back from the dead. And yes, I am helping Danny face his fears. Care to take a listen?" There was a pause, then Danny's terrified screams came through the speaker.

"Need to…gotta…can't breathe…have to get…out! Steve, help me!" he begged. Danny sounded worse than before. His voice was weaker, more hoarse. Before he had sounded panicked, but now he was truly desperate. Danny's pleas for help cut out and Madson came back on the line.

"You better hurry, Stevie. Danno doesn't have much time! 6:18:22…6:18:21…6:18:20…6:18:19…6:18:18…"

**Another chapter DONE! Mitch and I are having lots of fun with this.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Good morning! Time for Chapter 5. Yes, I will update Jersey Style soon, but I already started the next chapter for it. Unfortunately, I left it at home so for now, we will be working on Maka'u for the remainder of the honeymoon.**

After Madson stopped ticking away the seconds and let the baby monitor fall silent, Steve had to resist the urge to pick up the small powder blue device and break it against the wall. He was breathing heavily. Not only was Danny panicked out his mind, but he was going to run out of air soon. It physically hurt to think of his partner, wherever he was, begging for help. Steve watched as Chin set the timer on his watch in accordance with the time Madson had told them was left on Danny's air supply. A sound from the other end of the room caught his attention. Fong was sprinting towards them.

"Charlie, you got something?" Kono asked. They had been sending him everything new that they had found.

"I think so. I've analyzed the recording you gave me of the last time the kidnapper called and it sounds like the other end of the baby monitor is with Danny, not with Madson."

"How do you know?" Chin asked.

"I ran a few tests on Madson's voice and it sounds distorted, like it's coming over a speaker. I think he controls the other part of the monitor, but he doesn't actually have it with him. There must be some sort of speaker wherever he's holding Danny."

"How does this help us?" Steve asked.

"I'm getting there. I've also been trying to reconfigure this monitor from the changes Madson made so it can work like a walkie-talkie. That's the monitor's original function. I think I may have figured out a way to make it so we can talk to Danny." Steve's eyes widened as he realized what Fong was saying.

"You think you can do this?" he asked. Charlie held up the small toolbox he'd brought with and without a word, began unscrewing the back panel to get to the wires and circuit board within. After twenty minutes of tense silence while they watched him work, Fong set the monitor down.

"Done." He said. They could hear what sounded like heavy breathing coming through the small speaker. "Press the button and try talking to Danny. I think he may be able to answer you too because he could answer Madson. The monitor is supposed to work so the parents can always hear what's going on on the baby's end and they can talk to the baby if they want. You may even block out Madson's signal." Steve nodded and snatched up the radio.

"Danno? Danny, can you hear me?" Steve said as he pressed the button. They heard the breathing still for a moment. "Can hear me, buddy? It's Steve." He said, trying again.

"_St-steve_?" Came the tentative reply after a moment. Steve gave a slightly hysterical, relieved half-laugh.

"Yeah. Yeah, Danno. It's me."

"_Steve! Thank God! You gotta get me outta here! Please! Steve, get me out! I can't…I can't b-breathe!_" Danny begged.

"Shhhhh, hey hey hey. Danny, listen to me. I'm gonna get you out of there, alright? I promise. But right now, we're still trying to figure out where you are. Charlie's been able to fix up this radio the guy who took you gave us so we can talk. I need you to focus, alright? I know you're scared, but just take slow, even breaths. Can you do that?"

"_T-try._"

"In…out…in…out…in…out…just like that. You're doing great." They all relaxed a bit when they heard Danny's breathing even out a little. "Good. That's it. You're doing so good. Now listen carefully. We're gonna find you, but we need your help. Can you do that for me?" Steve asked gently.

"_Yeah._" Danny croaked.

"Okay. Now I know this is hard, but I need you to describe to me where you are. Any little detail's gonna help."

"_Small box_."

"Alright, tell me about the box."

"_Smells like pine. Maybe six feet long. Foot and half tall._"

"Good. What else do you see?" Steve coached.

"_Timer, speaker by my feet. Blood…words in blood. His words._" Steve winced inwardly. He guessed that those words must be Madson's freaky poem.

"Anything else? A sound? A smell?"

"_Dirt. I smell dirt, I think. I can't hear anything though._" Steve nodded to Chin, making sure he got that last part as he started to put together a list of possible places Danny could be.

"Okay, Danny. This is going to help us a lot. We'll find you, so don't you worry pal. We're on it."

"_'kay_." Danny whispered. Steve didn't like how weak his partner sounded and began to worry about shock.

"Now, I know you were in a car accident. I need you to tell me where you're hurt, Danno. Can you do that?"

"_Hurt?_"

"That's right. I talked to some people who saw the wreck and they said you were unconscious. I need to know where you're hurt."

"_Uhh, my arm. Think it's broken._"

"Good job, buddy. Anywhere else?"

"_'m head hurts._" Steve nodded to himself. That was consistent with the witness's statement.

"Alright, we'll make sure we have an ambulance with us when we find you."

"_You'll find me?_" Danny asked, hardly daring to get his hopes up.

"You bet, partner. We're gonna get you outta there. We'll take care of you and get you home to Gracie-" Suddenly, Danny cut him off.

"_Grace! Grace! Steve, he's got Grace! He's gonna kill her! He hurt her! He has Grace…he has my Grace._" Alarmed by the sudden change in his friend, Steve quickly motioned for Kono to call the safe house where he had hid Grace and Rachel.

"Danny! Danny, listen to me man. Grace is safe. She and Rachel are fine. I put them in a safe house. They've got the better half of HPD guarding them. I swear, Madson won't get anywhere near them."

"_No…b-but…but he told me…heard her scream…he hurt her…hurt my baby._" Kono tapped Steve on the shoulder.

"I've got Rachel on the phone." She whispered into his ear. "She and Grace are fine, but Rachel hasn't told her what's going on yet." Steve nodded and took Kono's phone.

"Danny, listen to me very carefully. I promise you, Grace is just fine. I've got Rachel on the phone here and she'll tell you herself. She hasn't told Grace what's happened yet." Steve put Kono's cell on speaker and Rachel's concerned British voice filled the room.

"_Danny? Danny, can you hear me?_" she asked, worry and stress obvious in her tone.

"_Rach?_" Danny asked hoarsely.

"_Yes! Yes, it's me, Danny. I promise you, we are fine. I'm fine, Grace is fine. Here, she's just in the other room. You can hear her. She's talking to Officer Akela._" There was a brief pause, then Grace's bubbly voice could be heard faintly over the speaker.

"_Is that a real Taser?_" she asked. Steve could hear Akela chuckling softly.

"_You bet, Keiki._"

"_So, have you ever been, you know…tased?_"

"_Yeah, once. Not very fun though._" There was a brief shuffling sound, then Rachel came back on the line.

"_See, Danny? She's okay. I swear to you, we're both safe. I have to go now, but I'll see you soon, alright?_" Rachel promised. Steve could hear it in her voice just how much she still loved Danny. He handed the phone back to Kono and pressed the button to talk to Danny again.

"See? Just like I said, buddy. She's okay."

"_She's safe…Grace…She's…she's safe._" Danny repeated it over and over to himself, trying to draw as much calm as possible from it. Just then, Chin finished compiling a list of possible locations their missing member could be. As Danny repeated Grace's name to calm himself, Steve read over the list. The last location made him stop.

"In a coffin." Steve whispered. Chin shrugged.

"I just thought…"

"No, Chin, you're absolutely right! Think about it! What they had assumed to be Madson's remains would have been buried in a pine box in a potter's field."

"Oh my God…you don't think?" Chin asked, suddenly seeing what Steve had.

"We need to check it out." Steve picked up the monitor off of the table again and pressed the talk button. "Danny, I think we just figured out where to find you, but I need you to tell me something, okay? We think you're in the coffin Madson's remains were supposedly buried in. Now, you've smelled formaldehyde before and that's what they would've put on the body. Do you smell that now?" They heard Danny sniff experimentally.

"_Maybe a little…yeah! Yeah, I smell it!_" Steve smiled.

"Good. Next, I need you to look in the top right corner of the box, probably above your head, for a little number. Do you see it?" There was a pause, then Danny answered.

"_Yes, I see it. Five five dash six two six._" Danny read. Kono looked at him quizzically.

"It's Madson's ID number." Steve explained. "Chin, find out where that grave is right now!" Chin nodded. "Alright, Danno. We've got you. Hang tight. We'll be there soon." Steve soothed.

"_You're…you're c-comin'?_" Danny asked weakly.

"I promise you. Just a few more minutes. We'll have you out of there."

"_Thank you! God, thank you, Steve. I-_" Danny stopped all at once, his words dying in his throat.

"Danny? Danny! What's wrong, buddy? Talk to me!" Steve pleaded.

"_The timer…Steve, the timer sped up! He's sucking the air out. I'm gonna die._" Steve's heart clenched in his chest.

"No, that's not going to happen. We're gonna get you out." He assured him desperate partner.

"Steve, I got it! He's in plot four-sixty nine."

"We're on our way, Danny! Just hang in there!" Steve grabbed the monitor and keys to his truck, then raced towards the parking lot.

**Will they make it in time? Poor Danny…at least I'm having fun! Time for a quick swim with the new hubby!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, time to quick crank out another chapter! I'm glad you guys are liking this!**

As Steve sped through the streets of Honolulu, he held the baby monitor in one hand and steered his massive truck with the other. Danny's breathing was coming in short, fast gasps. He was screaming incessantly and Steve could hear him banging on the lid of the coffin.

"Hang on, buddy. Two minutes. I'll be there in two minutes. You just stick with me." Steve coached in an effort to keep Danny from using up his remaining air faster.

"Steve! The timer! Get me out! I need to get…I can't…c-can't…NO! PLEASE! HELP ME! STEVE!" Danny's pleas for help rose in pitch and Steve applied more pressure to the gas pedal. Relief washed over him when the saw the entrance to the cemetery. One glance in his rearview mirror told him that Chin and Kono were right on his tail with shovels in their trunks. An ambulance wouldn't be far behind. When he had driven as far as the headstones would allow, he sprinted out of the truck, monitor still in hand towards the potter's field near the back of the grassy lot. As he ran, he became aware of the fact that he could no longer hear the sounds of Danny's labored breathing.

"Danny?" he huffed into the monitor. "You still with me?"

"No…air…I c-can't…" Danny gasped. Steve's stomach dropped and he ran harder.

"Stay with me, Danny. I'll be there in just a second!" this time there was no reply. No desperate scream, no pounding on the walls of the wooden box, not even a whisper. Nothing. A moment later, Steve dashed through the gate to the potter's field and started searching for plot four-sixty-nine. Within seconds, Chin and Kono were there too, searching for the small stone marking where Danny would be. Steve ran up another row, still in the three hundreds, but paused when he saw a large box sitting atop on of plots.

"Guys!" he yelled, and ran toward the box. Sure enough, the stone marked the plot as four-sixty-nine. Steve lifted the lid off the box to reveal an empty bag connected to a small tube. Making the connection between the bag and Danny's air supply, he tore the bag off.

"Danny! Danny, come on. Answer me. We're here, just hold on." Again, there was no response. Accepting a shovel from Chin, he joined his teammates as they dug furiously towards Danny's coffin. Their strokes were fast, but deliberate and the recently disturbed earth moved easily. They made short work of the shallow grave and soon enough, Steve's shovel struck the lid of the box. They quickly cleared away the remainder of the dirt. Together, they placed the edge of their spades under the edge of the lid and pried the box open. The sight before them made Steve want to scream. Danny lay pale and unmoving in the tiny confines of his prison. His lips and eyelids had a distinctly blue tinge. His chest neither rose nor fell. Danny's entire body was bathed in sweat and blood. _Blood_. It was everywhere. It ran down his face from the gash on his temple, it stained his fingers and the lid of the box where he had tried to claw his way out. His broken arm was one giant bruise and was bent at an unnatural angle. Without a second thought, Steve dove into the hole and, with Chin's help, hauled Danny to the grass. Kono had gone to direct the ambulance toward them. The pale blue baby monitor lay forgotten in the dirt. Trying to keep a lid on his panic, Steve checked for a pulse, his worry ratcheting up several notches. He forced two breaths into his partner's open mouth and began chest compressions on Danny's limp body. He winced when he felt a rib, probably already cracked from the crash, give way beneath his hands.

"Come on, Danny. You can do this. Just breathe for me. Come on, Danny! Fight! Take a breath!" Steve begged in a whisper, nearly out of breath. With every second that passed without Danny sucking in a breath, Steve felt Danny's life slipping away. _No_, he thought to himself. He couldn't let Danny die in that God awful box, thinking help would come too late. He had to save him. He had to. He heard footsteps pounding towards them and a moment later the paramedics were kneeling next to Danny. However, Steve was so intent on his task that he didn't notice the new arrival. It was only when he felt Chin and Kono's strong hands on his shoulders, pulling him back that he realized help had come. He fought them at first, before he knew what was going on.

"Steve, come on, brah. Let them do their job." Chin's voice reasoned. He nodded, too out of breath to speak. They watched with rapt attention as an ambu-bag was placed over Danny's mouth and the pads were placed on his chest. They watched as the medic charged the defibrillator, yelling "Clear!" before sending a current through Danny's lifeless body. He charged it again when they found no pulse. Again and again. Then, one final time. They medics were already looking doubtful, but they sent the shock through anyway. After a tense second, Danny's chest spasmed and he heaved in a breath of clean evening air. Steve felt hot tears run down his cheeks, but he was too relieved to wipe them away. Danny was alive. That was all that mattered. No matter what came after this, be it brain damage from oxygen deprivation or psychological trauma, Steve swore to himself then and there that he would get his partner through it. He slid into the back of the ambulance with Danny, taking his brother's clammy hand in his own.

"We gotcha, Danno. You're safe. I promise. I'll get you through this, buddy."

**Short, but I hope it had enough action in it! Australia is so nice! Compared to the 10 below weather back home, I'm definitely soaking up the sun while I've got it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Last day in Australia. :( Tomorrow we return to the cold and cloudiness. Oh well, Mitch and I are having a wonderful time! This has truly been an incredible experience. Well, on to the story! As I recall, things were getting ****_pretty_**** tense. **

Steve paced the room nervously, anxiously awaiting word on Danny. His partner had been utterly still during the entire ambulance ride over. The medic had continued ambu-bagging until they had reached the hospital, where the doctor who met them at the door ordered him to be placed on a respirator immediately. Steve knew very little of Danny's condition beyond the shouts he had heard from various doctors and nurses as Danny was rushed into the ER.

"_Careful of that arm._"

"_Doctor, his temp is dropping._"

"_Somebody page Radiology and have them prepare for him to have a CT scan. By the look of his eyes I'd say we're dealing with some level of cerebral edema._"

"_Let's start him on a saline drip. He's tachycardiac and his BP is bottoming out._"

"_Keep ambu-bagging. Resps are too quick and shallow. He's not getting enough oxygen. We need to intubate ASAP._"

"_Whoa, he's crashing!_"

He shuddered at the memory of his friend, so pale and still. The doctors had swiftly taken him back through the double doors, leaving Steve to wait in fear for news on Danny's condition. After he had filled out the necessary paper work, he'd found that he was far too high on adrenaline to sit still for more than a few seconds. He strode quickly up and down the small lobby, ignoring the hard chairs around him. As he went to scrub a hand over his stubbly chin, he saw the blood from Danny's head and hands. Steve ran to the nearest bathroom and crashed through one of the stall doors just barely in time to fall over the toilet and lose his breakfast. When he had finished, he wiped a shaking arm over his mouth and got unsteadily to his feet. Steve turned on the sink as hot as it could go and blasted it over his hands, scrubbing away all evidence of Danny's mistreatment. After a few minutes, he noticed how raw had become and shut of the faucet. Wearily, he lifted his eyes to the mirror before him and studied his haggard reflection. His dark hair was disheveled and stuck out in odd directions all over his head. The dark circles that ringed his eyes provided the only color on his wan face. Knowing that he needed to be waiting out there for when the doctors came out, Steve splashed a few handfuls of cold water on his face and left the bathroom. Unlike the tense, hyper energy he had felt before, the waning adrenaline had left him feeling drained and exhausted. Seeing no doctor waiting for him, he gladly took a seat, placing his head in his hands. In an effort to calm himself, he drew in deep, even breaths. However, he felt that only served to increase the guilt weighing on him. It was irrational, he knew, but he felt that he should've gotten to Danny sooner. Every breath he took felt stolen and he wished he could give it to Danny somehow. Suddenly, there was a small hand on his shoulder.

"Steve?" Kono asked gently. He looked up to see her and Chin seated across from him, their eyes dark with worry.

"Hey." He croaked. "Uh, there's been no word on Danny yet, but he wasn't doing so good when we got here. Any leads on Madson?" Chin shook his head bitterly.

"No. HPD's getting all the evidence from the coffin sent to Fong. Hopefully he can get somewhere with it."

"I hate to think that this psycho is still out there somewhere." Kono said darkly.

"We'll find him, Kono." Steve assured with steely determination. "This son of a bitch is not going to get away with this." They lapsed into silence. There was really nothing more to say to each other that they didn't all know. Now it was just a waiting game. They sat in the hard chairs for at least five hours, not saying a word. Kono sipped a bottle of water while Chin gulped down a lukewarm coffee. Steve didn't trust his stomach quite yet. He was beginning to doze off when a doctor pushed his way through the doors and entered the waiting room.

"Party for Daniel Williams?" Steve was on his feet in an instant and the doctor came over to join them.

"How's Danny?" Steve asked at once.

"He's…he's holding his own." Steve heaved out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm Doctor Montero. I've been in charge of Danny's care since he arrived. Why don't you all sit down? We have a lot to go over." Anxiously, they took their seat around Montero. The man cleared his throat and began. "I'll start with the injuries received in the car crash. He has a complete fracture of both the radius and ulna in his left arm, but we believe that given time and rest, they should heal without an issue. He also received some severe trauma to the head, resulting in a cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain."

"How bad is it?" Steve asked.

"Well, it's not good, but as of right now, we're not going to operate. Hopefully this will go down on its own. This relates to some of next issues. I believe that the swelling in his brain impaired rational thought and distorted his vision, which would have worsened the symptoms of his claustrophobia. Basically, it made him so afraid that he went into severe shock. His body was barely able to cope on its own, but then the breathable air was removed, causing him to not only panic more, but also to deplete his body's oxygen levels much too fast. Eventually, the shock and lack of oxygen caused his lungs to seize and his heart to fail. We have him on a ventilator now as well as several IV drips that will supply him with fluids, pain medication, and anti-inflamitories."

"Do we know if his brain was affected by oxygen deprivation yet?" Chin asked. Montero shook his head.

"I'm sorry. We won't know until he wakes up. All of his scans indicate a normal level of brain activity and we've seen no obvious damage, but I can't promise you that there isn't any."

"Can we see him?" Kono asked quietly.

"Not yet. I really am sorry, but he's not stable enough for visitors quite yet. A nurse will be out in about an hour or so and she'll take you to his room then. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" When no more questions came to mind, Montero offered them a sympathetic smile and left. Exhausted, they all sank back into their chairs, happy to at least know that Danny would make it.

**Well, there goes chapter 7!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, we're part way into our flight back home. I'll probably post this at the next place we stop. It's already getting colder :( But alas, all good things must come to an end. Besides, it's not all bad! I get to go home to our wonderful new house, my job that I absolutely love, my puppy, and of course, I'll have Mitch with me and that just makes everything better! Anyway, here's chapter 8. Enjoy!**

True to what Montero had told them, a nurse came out after an hour to take them to Danny's room. Taking a deep breath and attempting to mentally prepare himself for what lay beyond, Steve pushed aside the curtain. Danny lay in the middle of the bed. The surrounding tubes and wires made him look small and fragile, something Steve had never thought of his partner as. Danny was still pale, but his lips had regained a bit of their color. The respirator tube down his throat looked awkward and alien. Steve hated the fact that Danny was dependent on it. Stiff white bandage swathed his head, covering the large gash on his temple. There were three IVs in his arm, each one dispensing their medication into Danny's veins. It was a lot to take in, but all things considered, it could have been much worse. Steve walked silently over to the chair placed near the head of the bed and sat down. Without saying a word, he took Danny's heavily bandaged hand in his own. Chin and Kono were now standing on Danny's other side. As much as they wanted to be there, they understood that there were things to be done. Chin gentle squeezed Danny's shoulder.

"I'll go out and update Rachel on what's happened. Call me if anything changes, alright?" he asked. Steve nodded without taking his eyes off of his partner.

"I'll go help Fong process the evidence." Kono said, placing a kiss of Danny's forehead before following Chin out of the room. The cousins had understood that Steve needed to be here, not only for Danny's protection, but for himself as well. Once Steve was alone, he felt his carefully built walls come down.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. This never should have happened. I should've gotten you out of there sooner." He whispered sadly. Every stressed line etched into Danny's ashen face made his guilt worse. It was like a knife in his heart as he tried to imagine what Danny had gone through. Eventually, he dozed off, his mind replaying Danny's screams.

H

5

0

Steve awoke to the sudden jerk of Danny's hand beneath his own. His eyes flew open and he was instantly on alert.

"Danny!" he exclaimed, surprised to see his friend awake. A quick glance at the clock told him that he had been asleep for about six hours. Steve was beyond relieved to see Danny's eyes open, but as he studied them, he could immediately tell something was wrong. Danny's eyes were blown wide with fear and he was struggling weakly. An awful choking noise came from his throat as he fought the ventilator. Danny attempted to free himself from his blankets, but only tangled himself up in them more. The heart monitor beat out an erratic and fast staccato rhythm. Steve quickly fumbled with the call button. Once he had pressed it, he turned to his panicked friend.

"Danny! Danny, look at me. Look at me, brother. Come on." But Steve's words had little effect on him. Steve was afraid to hold Danny's wrists to prevent him from tearing out his IVs. He worried he would only make Danny feel for trapped than he already did. "Danny! Danno!" Steve shouted. Abruptly, Danny stilled. His heart still beat much too fast, but he had finally locked eyes with Steve. "Danno." Steve repeated, watching as a little more tension left Danny's body. Steve smiled encouragingly. "That's it. Look at me. You're safe. We gotcha, buddy. You're in the hospital." While Danny's eyes were still fearful, the irrational terror that had been there moments ago had gone. A second later, Dr. Montero and several nurses rushed into the room. The arrival of so many unfamiliar people upset Danny and his heart rate skyrocketed again and he resumed his struggling to free himself from his bed. In desperation, he began to pull at the ventilator tube in his mouth.

"You need to remove that tube right now!" Steve shouted at Montero. The doctor understood right away and pulled a small syringe from his pocket. Quickly, he plunged the contents into Danny's IV line. The change was instantaneous. The fight suddenly left Danny and he slumped back into his bed, but remained conscious.

"It's a mild sedative." Montero explained when Steve shot him a questioning look. "His heart is very weak right now and we can't risk him going into cardiac arrest again. I didn't want to knock him out. It's good that he's awake and we need to evaluate his condition." Steve nodded. As Danny stared off into space in a drugged haze, Montero skillfully removed the ventilator. Although he was unhappy with Danny's oxygen levels, he opted for the nasal cannula instead of the mask. He too wanted to avoid making Danny feel constricted. The nurses righted the blankets and laid them loosely over their patient.

"How long until he starts coming off of the sedative?" Steve asked.

"A few minutes I'd guess. I didn't give him much." Montero replied. Sure enough, within two minutes, Danny began to blink hazily around, his eyes finally coming to rest on his partner. Steve smiled.

"Hey Danno. How ya feelin'?" he asked gently. It took Danny time to find the words being that his brain was still concussed and foggy from the drugs.

"Steve…t-tired. So tired. Why?" he asked in a whisper. Steve frowned and glanced at Montero. He really didn't want to have to explain this to Danny.

"Amnesia's common. Keep talking to him and it might start to come back."

"Alright. Well, Danny, you're tired because you got hurt pretty bad. You're in the hospital. Do you remember why?" Steve asked quietly. Danny shook his head slowly.

"That's okay. What's the last thing you remember?" Danny had to think for a moment.

"Waimen Bay." He said after a moment.

"What do mean?" Steve asked, confused.

"S'body at Waimea Bay. You called m-me." The case that they had been about to work yesterday came back to him and Steve grinned.

"Okay, well that's not too long ago. Can you tell me what you happened after I called you?"

"I…I dunno. Was I in an acciden'?" Danny slurred.

"Yes, but there's more." Steve said, hating himself for making Danny think about that terrible moment when he first woke up in that box.

"More…I…wait. No…" he breathed almost inaudibly. Suddenly, the heart monitor beeped faster. As Steve looked into Danny's eyes, he could see that he remembered with painful clarity.

**Hey guys, Mitch here. We just finished our first part of our flight back. It's a looooonnnnnggg flight. I figured I'd post this for her since she's asleep on my shoulder. For our jobs we're used to odd hours, but I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the weird sleep schedule we've been keeping lately. Oh well. She's adorable when she's sleeping :)** **Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors. I'm not much of a proofreader.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Finally home! It was a lovely honeymoon, but it is good to be back! No more vacations for a while though. I've left the country twice already just this month. My brother was waiting for us at home with Luke, so we got a nice furry welcome home. But oh my gosh! It is so cold! How did I ever survive here before? Wow, just a few days in Australia made me soft. Anyways, now Mitch and I get to start our lives together as husband and wife and I think you all know that we want kids. Like, two to four. So hopefully, I'll have some exciting news to share soon :) **

**Oh, and is anyone else excited for tonight's episode? (*SPOILERS FOR PLACES WHERE THE SHOW JUST STARTED*) I mean, our boys get kidnapped and held hostage together! I really hope they don't screw this episode up because it has ****_so_**** much potential.**

Remembering took a toll on Danny's body. Montero grew more concerned by the minute as his patient's breathing quickened into shallow gasps and his heart monitor went wild. He immediately ordered a check of Danny's blood pressure and was alarmed to find it fluctuating from dangerously high one minute to dangerously low the next. To his credit, Steve was doing his best to calm his terrified friend, but it soon became apparent that very little of his soothing words were getting through.

"Danny, hey, look at me, Danno. Look at me. You're safe. We got you, man. You're not in there anymore." Steve said gently, but firmly. Danny's wide eyes were unable to meet his partner's and they jumped wildly around the room. As he began to free himself from his bed, nurses were forced to hold him down, which only served to add to the feeling of being trapped. His wild attempts to break free made him look as though he was having a seizure.

"Get me ten milligrams of diazepam right now!" Montero ordered and within seconds a nurse pressed one into his hand. He quickly emptied it into Danny IV line. Danny's body relaxed slightly, but unlike the first time the sedative had been administered, Danny did not go completely limp. Montero frowned as he studied the monitor.

"Doc, what's going on?" Steve asked, truly afraid for his friend.

"His blood pressure is still way too high and I don't want to risk him going into shock again. Let's push another five of diazepam." Another syringe was emptied and a moment later Danny sagged back into his pillows and his eyes fluttered shut. Seeing that his patient was completely unconscious, Montero placed an oxygen mask over Danny's face. Slowly, the loud beeping in the corner faded to a rhythmic hum. Danny was paler now, if that was at all possible. The dark circles beneath his eyes seemed more pronounced. He was left exhausted and covered in cold sweat. His hand felt clammy as Steve held it.

"Doctor, his head's bleeding again." Steve pointed out, noticing the small dark stain soaking through the bandage.

"Damn, he's torn his stitches. Commander, I know you want to be with him, but can I ask you to wait in the hall while we put some new ones in? We'll need the room to work." Montero said not unkindly. Steve nodded and got slowly to his feet.

"Yeah, I have some calls to make anyway." With one last glance at his partner, Steve slipped out of the room and pulled out his phone. Walking on autopilot, he hit three on his speed dial.

"_Hey, boss. How's Danny?_" Kono asked without preamble. Steve took a deep breath, preparing himself for the explanation.

"He, uh…he woke up." Steve said at last.

"_That's great! Isn't it? Why do you sound like something awful just happened._" She asked nervously.

"He remembered, Kono." He said softly. He heard inhale sharply on the other end.

"_How did he take it?_"

"Not well. I guess it's to be expected, but God, it was awful."

"_Is he okay?_"

"I don't know." Steve answered honestly. "Before things got bad we talked for a minute or so. He seemed alright. His speech was little slurred and he was pretty confused, but Montero said that was common. Then he remembered what happened. It's like it all hit him at once. He started having some kind of a panic attack I guess and they had to sedate him."

"_Oh my God…should we come down there? Chin just got back and we're at HQ right now._" Steve thought for a moment.

"Yeah, maybe. I don't want to make him feel crowded, but more friendly faces might do him some good."

"_Alright, we'll be there in fifteen._" They hung up and Steve sunk into one of the chairs in the hallway. He was anxious and running on very little sleep and no food, but he refused to allow his body to rest. Not yet, anyway. He needed to make sure he was there when Danny woke up. After a moment of silence, the curtain swished open and Montero came out.

"We've got his head stitched back up again. Hopefully that will stay. With the amount of drugs we've put in him, he should sleep for a while. I expect him to be pretty groggy when he wakes up, so that may help us keep him calm." He explained.

"Doctor, what about brain damage. Are you seeing any signs of that yet?" Steve asked.

"I can't one hundred percent confirm that there isn't any since it's still so early, but as of right now I don't believe there is any significant damage. The slurred speech and confusion are most likely a result of the concussion and medications. Traumatic though it might've been, it is a good sign that he was able to remember what had happened." Steve nodded.

"Is he going to be like this the rest of his life? Like, PTSD or something?"

"PTSD is very likely, but it can be managed. Since you seem to know him best, how do you think he would react to seeing a psychiatrist?" Steve frowned.

"I don't know. Danny' a very guarded person, but if he's calmer and a little more with it the next time he's awake, I might be able to convince him to."

"Good. Talking will help. I know you'll be there, and that might have to be enough depending on how he reacts to the therapist, but we'll take this one step at a time." Montero placed a gentle hand on Steve's shoulder. "He'll be okay, Steve. He's a strong man and he's got a great support system." With that, Montero turned and walked down the hall. Steve prayed that the doctor was right.

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The man in the brown jacket swung slowly back on forth on the old swing's rusty chains. The loud creaking sound added to the eerie feel of the park. It was early morning and the hordes of small children had yet to arrive. In the pale glow of dawn, the man pushed himself lightly with his feet to keep the swing going. His piercing blue eyes stared lovingly at the various playground equipment scattered around the grassy lot. The swings, the slides, the monkey bars, and his favorite, the merry-go-round. The sound of the ocean swished softly in the background. Its calm rhythm was at odds with the dark lyrics of the man's quiet mutterings.

"Burn your fears in the eyes of death

collapsing dreams, dominating power

summoning lightning storms under silent breath

burning the weak under the church bell tower.

Armies of god rumbling in the distance

through the forest seeking my radiance

shining into lost souls of the all mighty one

dark rivers of blood streaming toward the sun .

Sun rises full of memories , enchanted stories

as carcasses disintegrate into the earth's crust

death became my living glory

until I meet my fate I'll be swirling up the dust.

Taking satanic rituals into society's eyes

re-writing the holy book of lies

creating a new path for man kind

where only honor you can find."

He smiled as the last of the familiar words rolled off of his tongue. He had chosen his next victim.

**Oooohhh, spooky ending! A big thanks to my wonderful husband for posting yesterday's chapter! Just saying, marriage is bliss. I guess we're just one of those lucky couple blessed enough to have found each other. I hope someday that you all find something like this. If you have already, my advice to is to never let go. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry I haven't updated as much as I planned to today. Mitch and I were kind of busy with…something else. On Friday I had to have some X-rays done on my wrist that I had surgery on back in October just to make sure it was healing right, but before they started, they asked if there was any possibility that I was pregnant. I didn't think so, but I mentioned that we had been trying. As a precaution, they rescheduled my X-rays and instead tested my blood to see if I was pregnant. Well it turns out, that it had been just long enough to tell. It never would have shown up on a home pregnancy test. My doctor called me today to tell me my results had come in and that Mitch and I were going to be parents! We spent the day at Home Depot and IKEA finding stuff for the baby's room. It's a good day :)**

Danny's next venture in consciousness was far less dramatic than his first. He let out a groan, partially muffled by the oxygen mask, and raised one of his hands to the bandage on his forehead.

"No touching, Danno." Steve said gently, taking Danny's hand in his own to prevent him from damaging the fragile skin beneath the gauze. Danny scrunched his eyes shut tight, then blinked them open groggily.

"Steve?" he asked, an edge of confusion in his voice.

"Hey. How ya feelin'?" Steve asked, nervous for what might come next.

"I'm okay…" Steve smiled at him sadly.

"Yeah, you are buddy. You're gonna be just fine." There was a long silence between the two of them, then Danny looked up at his partner with those piercing blue eyes.

"Did you get him yet?" he asked, referring to Madson. Steve blew out a breath.

"Not yet, but we've got every cop in Honolulu looking for this guy. Not to mention FBI and the Five-0. We'll get him, don't you worry." Danny closed his eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths.

"You alright?" Steve asked quietly.

"Yeah…" Danny replied after a minute. "I trust you." Steve felt his throat close with emotion at how much Danny trusted him. It wasn't fair that a good man like Danny had been forced to suffer like that.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. I tried so hard to find you sooner. We did everything we could."

"I…I know." Danny whispered softly. "Steve, I need to tell you what happened." He said even softer than before. Steve frowned.

"Danny, you don't have to do this. If you're not ready, this can wait." Danny shook his head.

"No, it needs to be now. He's gonna kill again, I can feel it. You need whatever you can get to bring this guy down."

"But you don't need to push yourself like this."

"Maybe not, but it's for the best. Besides, the only reason I'm not freaking out right now is the drugs. I can't be on those all the time and I know I'm gonna get worse. You need to hear this while I'm still, you know, me."

"Hey, you're gonna get through this. You'll be just fine. I'm gonna be there all the way. We're not going to let Madson win." Steve asserted with steely determination.

"Okay." Danny said doubtfully. "But please, just…just listen."

"Alright, but if you need to stop at any point, you let me know. Chin and Kono are going to be here soon, so they might come in in the middle." Danny nodded, then began to recount every last detail of his imprisonment. With each passing moment, Steve felt his anger at Madson rise. If it was hard for Steve to listen to, it was a thousand times worse for Danny to talk about. Steve could see the fear, pain, and stress the memories brought with them. In the corner, the heart monitor sped up slightly. Not enough for the doctors to be concerned about, but it spoke of the man's anxiety. Danny had removed the oxygen mask to talk, but as soon as he finished, Steve planned to make sure it went back on. Danny's breathing had become worrisome. As Steve had said, Chin and Kono arrived halfway through. They said nothing, just took their seats around the bed.

"Then, the timer started counting down. Fast. And I could feel the air being…being sucked out and I couldn't b-breathe anymore. There was nothing left. I knew I was going to die. You kept saying you'd be there, but I knew it wouldn't be in time. I…I tried to breathe, but there was…the was nothing there. And then I just couldn't anymore and I…I…" Danny could no longer find any words.

"Hey, look at me, Danny." Steve said, placing a gentle hand on Danny's shoulder. "You're not down there anymore. You didn't die. We got you out. You're safe."

"I d-didn't want to…I tried not to…to let it get to me, but it was s-so small and I just couldn't…"

"I know, Danno, but look at you. You're doing so good. You're out of there now and Madson won't hurt you ever again. You won, Danny. You didn't die. You didn't give in like he wanted."

"I-I won…c-can't hurt…not anymore." Danny mumbled.

"That's right, buddy." Steve replied encouragingly as he placed the oxygen mask back over Danny's face. "You just rest now, okay? We'll be here when you wake up. I promise you."

"Th-thanks g-guys." Danny whispered. Within seconds, he was unconscious once more. Steve had closed his eyes and was breathing heavily. Chin was staring straight ahead in shock. Tears flowed freely down Kono's face.

"God…" she whispered. "I can't believe it."

"I know. Danny never deserved that." Chin said softly.

"I'm gonna find that son of a bitch and I'm gonna kill him." Steve growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"I'm with you." Kono replied, equally as angry. Chin nodded sharply in agreement.

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A cool breeze tousled his hair as he watched the house through his open window. He liked the pristine white paint on the place. It reflected the little girl's purity and innocence. He wondered if she was like her father. He smiled. Of course she was. They were uncannily similar and this had to be no different. He loved her already. From his hiding place in one of the neighbor's bushes, he had watched her and her mother return to the house. There was still people guarding them, but they presented little challenge for him. He loved already. Her silky, smooth brown hair. Her big brown eyes and her soft skin the color of chocolate milk. Her features were so fine and delicate. He longed to take her away from here. She would be his best angel yet. Through the window, he could see her sitting on the couch as her mother braided her hair. Soon, that would be his job. Soon, she would be his.

**Uh oh. I'm pretty sure you all know who his next victim is. Little freaky, huh? I'm gonna have to stop writing stuff like this now that I'm gonna be a mom. It'll give me nightmares! **


	11. Chapter 11

**I am so sorry I haven't updated this week yet! It's been so crazy lately. I've been working until at least ten most nights and between that and growing a small person inside of me, I'm exhausted. At least today I was able to come home at a decent time and take a nice nap, so I'm a little more refreshed and ready to give you all the updates you were promised! Sorry for the wait!**

Steve frowned. The man sitting before him was so different than the man his partner had been before Madson and that damned box. He had never known Danny to pass up a meal, but here he was, picking listlessly at his food and accomplishing nothing more than pushing it around the plate. He was still on oxygen, but Montero had deemed his levels satisfactory enough for him to be placed on a nasal cannula instead of the full mask. It was noon now and a plate had been brought up for him, but it was obvious that Danny had no real appetite.

"You actually gonna eat that?" Steve asked.

"What?" Danny asked as he drew himself out of his own thoughts. "Oh, you can have it if you want." He said, pushing the plate toward Steve.

"Nuh uh, Danny." He said, stopping the plate with a finger and sliding it back over. "Come on, you need to eat man. Get you strength up."

"I'm not really hungry." Danny murmured. Steve frowned again. It had been three days since they had rescued him and they were all worrying. The previous days Danny had mostly been asleep, or pretending to be anyway. At least now he was sitting up, but that was only because he had been promised a visit with Grace. Steve could see now just how much that box had changed his friend. Gone was the talkative, expressive, and lively detective. In his place sat the pale shell of Danny's former self.

"Danny, talk to me. You can't turn yourself off like this." Steve begged.

"I'm not turning myself off." Danny replied quietly, his eyes dropping down to the cold food on his plate again.

"Yes, you are. Danny, I know what you're going through, I really do. North Korea was hell for me and even after you guys rescued me, I felt like I couldn't come back. But did you let me stay there? No. It's my turn, Danny. You're not in that box anymore. Let me help you get out of there." Danny was silent for a moment. What Steve said was true. In the weeks, months even, that followed the events in North Korea, Steve had retreated within himself, consumed with grief and guilt over Jenna's death and plagued by memories of his torture. Danny had pulled him back from the edge of a very deep, very dark abyss and Steve was determined to do the same.

"How…how did you do it, Steve?" Danny whispered after a minute. "How did you just turn it off and come back? Every time I close my eyes, I'm right back in there, listening to grace's screams. I know they weren't real, but that doesn't make a difference."

"I didn't. I couldn't turn it off. As you like to remind me, I'm stubborn and stuff my emotions down. Without you, I would've crashed and burned. You stayed with me every day, remember that? You made me talk to you even when I though I couldn't. You were the help I'd never accept but I desperately needed. This is not something you can do on your own, Danny, and you don't have to. I'm here. Just…_talk to me_." Danny swallowed thickly and pushed the plate even further away, looking sick.

"I-I don't know if I can." Danny stuttered.

"Neither did I." Steve replied gently, placing a hand on Danny's arm. "Over time though, I learned that I could. I learned from watching you, buddy. You were a man could talk about anything under the sun, no matter how hard the topic was. If you could do it, I could." Danny looked down again, his face clouded with indecision and inner turmoil.

"I never thought I'd see him again…at least I hoped I wouldn't. I guess I always knew he was alive." Danny began. "When I woke up down…down there, the first thing I noticed was how tight it was in there. I could barely move an inch. Madson must've known about m-my problem. He used it too, the bastard. As soon as I saw that timer at the end of the box, I knew. I knew that it was counting down how long I had to live. Then I saw that sadistic little poem and…" Danny paused for a minute, attempting to hold his composure. "I knew it had to be…to be Madson. He had always been obsessed with little girls and when he found out I had a daughter, he'd leave me little hints that he had taken a new victim and along with it, he'd leave a piece of clothing or a toy that looked like something Grace had. Every day for months I would race to her school and check to make sure she was still safe. I never let anyone besides me or Rachel pick her up. Not even Stan. When Madson played those screams, I thought…I thought he'd finally gotten her. I thought he'd gotten my little girl." Danny whispered, his voice breaking.

"Shhh, hey hey hey. Grace's okay. She's safe. As soon as you went missing, she was our first priority. You've always made it clear that you wanted it that way."

"You protected her?"

"Of course. I am her Uncle, am I not?" Steve said with a wink. "That little girl means the world to me, Danny. I'd never let anything happen to her. I will always do everything in my power to protect her."

"Thank you." Danny choked out.

"Always, man. You know that. What else is on your mind?"

"I've never dealt well with small spaces, but that…nothing could've prepared me. I could feel the walls getting closer and I thought my heart was going to explode. It was ridiculous, I know-"

"No, Danny. Don't ever blame yourself for that. Don't you ever believe that it was somehow a sign of weakness. The doctors said most people would have died from the shock or gone completely insane in your position, but not you. You were strong and you kept your head."

"I guess I did." Danny mumbled.

"You're damn right you did. Say it with pride. You beat him. You lived and you didn't let it break you. That is one hell of an accomplishment." Steve said firmly. Slowly, he could see a change start to come over his partner. Danny smiled at him, then peeled back the lid of his Jell-O and began to spoon it into his mouth. Steve grinned back happily and they passed the time until Grace arrived chatting about Danny's favorite subject: his hatred of beaches.

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The black Mercedes pulled into the lot and the pretty young woman got out, followed soon after by her daughter. The woman placed a hand on the girl's back and looked around nervously for a moment before walking toward the hospital. The man in the white van nearby felt his heart speed up when he saw her. _Grace_. He like the way the word tasted on his tongue. Personally, he felt there was no better name for a girl who would soon become him his best and most beautiful angel.

**Well, there you go! Chapter 11. I will try to update tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes. I have to work from 10-8, so I might sneak in an update. Thanks for being so patient!**

***Sorry if this take a while to post. For some reason, the page will not load! I keep getting an error message an it's very frustrating!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, I feel like I say this every time, but sorry for not updating sooner! Somehow I always end up with two stories going at once. I never mean to. Anyway, like last week, this week's been pretty crazy as well. On the upside, I do have tomorrow and Monday off so that should be nice. Mitch and I have a rough go of it these past few days. Sadly, my sister-in-law, Ellie, has gotten really sick. She's only eleven, so they took her up to Children's. Poor kid has encephalitis. All they know is that it was caused by some sort of virus. Good news is, they caught it early and she'll be okay. She's starting to walk again, which is good. A little uncoordinated and off balance, but that should improve. Poor Mitch has been so busy worrying after his little sister that he caught himself a cold! I figured after all he's done for me, it was my turn to take care of so these last few days between work and Ellie visits, I've been taking care of him. Now he's feeling better and we're ready to write you guys a few updates! Again, sorry for the wait!**

The moment Grace burst into her father's room, tears streaming down her face, Steve saw a change come over his best friend. Suddenly, the blank stares and listless manner was replaced overwhelming love and concern.

"Danno!" Grace cried as she sprinted towards the bed. Rachel's heels could be heard a few steps behind. It was obvious that Grace had been told at least part of what had happened. Steve quickly took her in his arms and placed her on the bed next to Danny. She hugged him with all of her might and Danny returned the fierce embrace with his good arm. He held her close as she sobbed into his shoulder and whispered his name over and over.

"Shhh, it's okay, baby. I'm right here. I gotcha." Danny soothed, his voice shaking a little. Rachel stepped into the room and Steve could see that she too had been worrying over him. Although she was dressed in her usual formal fashion, she looked as if she had thrown herself together in a hurry. Her blouse had come untucked from her skirt in places and she only wore one earring. Her hair was in a sloppy bun and her makeup was only enough to partially conceal the fact that she had been crying recently. She smiled timidly at Steve, then pulled up a chair next to him.

"How is he?" she asked quietly, though she doubted Danny and Grace were paying attention to anything but each other. Steve sighed.

"He's…he's better. He's still getting migraines from the concussion and his oxygen levels aren't where they should be, but all in all, he's lucky. His arm will heal and he has no brain damage, which is surprising considering how long his heart had been stopped." Steve explained. Rachel nodded.

"And how is doing? Not physically, I mean. Being down there, _the one thing he feared_, I just worry about the damage done to him mentally." Steve understood what she meant. He too had been wondering the same thing.

"Truthfully, I don't know for sure. Since we got him out of there, he's been sleeping a lot, or pretending to be at least. He sat up and talked to me today, though, once I told him you and Grace were coming. It took some work, but I got him to eat a little and even talk to me." Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"He talked to you about it?" she asked, not quite managing to hide her surprise.

"Yeah. He admits to just how much of a toll the tight space took on him, but really, he said that when Madson made him think he had Grace, that was the worst part."

"I remember the first time Danny dealt with him. Threats about Grace kept him on edge for months. Even after Madson had supposedly died, I could tell he wasn't sleeping. This man has a way of getting under your skin."

"Ain't that the truth." Steve muttered bitterly. "Right now, I think the best medicine for Danny is going to be Grace. Speaking of which, how much does she know?"

"Enough. She's at the age where I can't hide things like this from her anymore. I didn't give her all of the details you gave me. I just said that her father had been kidnapped by a very bad man he had investigated a few years ago and that, while he was safe now, some very bad things had been done to him and he was in the hospital." Steve nodded slowly.

"I think that should do for now. She doesn't need to hear what he went through. I wish I hadn't." Rachel touched his arm gently and offered him a sympathetic smile.

"For what it's worth, Steve, Danny's bloody lucky to have you. I heard what you did for him and I can see what you're still doing. Danny needs you and you don't shy away from it. I have a lot of respect for that." Steve smiled at her, not trusting his voice. It wasn't often that he spoke to Rachel, but he had always tried to be respectful, even if she was Danny's ex.

After a time, Danny and Grace released each other. They sat together, listening to Grace tell him stories from school well into the evening. When dinner was brought up to his room, with a little encouragement from Grace, Danny was able to finish the entire bowl of soup. Steve smiled. Like he had said, Grace was the best medication for Danny. Once he had finished eating, Montero stopped by.

"Well, it looks like your appetites back. That's always good. I'm guessing ti has something to do with this little lady right here?" he asked, smiling at Grace. She grinned back at him.

"Yeah. Grace, this is Dr. Montero. Doc, this is my daughter, Grace." Danny introduced. Montero bowed to Grace and then turned to his patient.

"So, Danny. How are we feeling today? Better?" Montero asked, careful to avoid specifics now that a child was present. Danny nodded.

"Definitely. Steve and I…we talked." Danny said quietly. Montero squeezed his shoulder and gave him an understanding smile.

"That's good. Well, it looks like your oxygen levels are within an acceptable range. I'll have you stay on it overnight, but I think I can let you get out of here tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"It sounds great." Danny said enthusiastically.

"Of course, I don't want you staying alone, although something tells me Steve here is going to take care of that." Montero said with a wink.

"I've got the guest room all ready for ya, man." Steve said, grinning broadly. Danny returned the smile. Seeing all was well, Montero excused himself, allowing Danny to get back to his daughter. Grace and Rachel stayed another hour. Once they had left, Steve saw all of Danny's energy leave him in a rush.

"Headache?" Steve asked, flipping off the lights. Danny nodded. Without another word, Steve pressed the button to release some of Danny's pain medication.

"Thanks." Danny mumbled.

"No problem, Danny. You know that. How long have you been hiding this headache?"

"'bout an hour. Didn't wanna worry Grace."

"Alright, well you just get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Danny smiled at him gratefully before drifting off to sleep.

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Steve had been dozing for a few hours when he was awoken by a sudden, strangled cry.

"No! No….have to…c-can't…need…gotta get…out of here! S-steve! Please. Help…can't b-breathe…Grace! No, Grace!" Steve was awake in an instant. Danny terrified ramblings tore at his heart. He placed his hands firmly on Danny's shoulder and gave him a hard, yet gentle shake.

"Danny! Danny, wake up. It's just a dream. You're safe, man, come on. Danny!" Despite his best efforts, Danny continued to thrash around in the grips of some horrible memory. Steve took Danny's face in his hands and began slapping his cheeks. "Danny. Danny, wake up!" Eventually, Danny's breathing clamed a little and two hazy eyes fluttered open for a few seconds.

"Steve?"

"Yeah, Danno. I'm right here. You're safe." That was all Danny needed to hear and soon enough he was asleep once more. They repeated this process twice more over the course of the night and each nightmare gave Steve more insight into the terrifying ordeal Danny had suffered through. Anger built within him as he passed the time thinking of how he would end things with Madson.

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Madson puttered about the small room, fixing the soft pink blankets on top of the bed and fluffing the pillow that sat on the chair. In the closet, he hung a small white dress made of silk. Matching shoes sat on the shelf below. The room was small, but comfortable Madson thought. There were no windows, but the paintings around the room more than made up for it. Smiling, he strode over to the shelf in the corner and lovingly straightened his collection of dolls. Each one was wearing a dress identical to the one that hung in the closet. He especially loved the dolls' hair. He remembered cutting it from his angels' heads so long ago. He hoped she like them. After all, this was all for Grace.

**Next chapter, I promise, there will be action! I should be able to update tomorrow, so look for one! To all of my readers in a relationship, have a great Valentine's Day. To all of you singles, my sister would like me to say enjoy Saturday, aka, Discount Chocolate Day. Love will find you! Keep warm and have fun!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Happy Valentine's Day! Mitch and I are celebrating by staying at home and eating pudding and strawberries. We don't really want to go to some restaurant or movie where we just know every sickeningly sweet couple's gonna be making out with each other. Nah, we just want a nice quiet day together. Both of us are off work today, so it works out nicely. Anyway, we want to write a few more chapters for our ongoing stories for you guys. Hmmm…I should really change my username from HipsterMaybe to HipsterMaybe & Mitch because we write pretty much all of these together. I type while he gives me a backrub and we both throw out whatever ideas we have. We've got a pretty good system worked out.**

Danny walked slowly into the spacious entryway of Steve's house. His eyes roved around the room, taking in every detail as if he'd never seen the place before. He hadn't even realized he had stopped walking until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, Danny?" Chin asked softly. Danny nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry." Danny muttered and continued forward, still taking in the house.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Come on, let's get you sitting on the couch." Chin led him slowly into the living room where they both took a seat on Steve's massive couch. Chin said nothing, for which Danny was grateful. He'd had enough of people asking after his mental state. He knew they meant well, but in all honesty, he believed their incessant badgering was more likely to drive him insane that his time…well, he didn't want to think about that. Right now, he knew he couldn't process what had happened, so he forced it out of his mind, locking it in a box. Maybe someday he'd open that box and sort through it all, but only when he was good and ready. And so, he appreciated Chin's reticence on the matter. The man's calm presence was enough to ease his frayed nerves. Soon, Steve and Kono were entering the house. Kono was carrying the bag of medications Danny had been prescribed and Steve had a bag of food that Danny just knew was part of Steve's plan to make him eat. It wasn't that Danny wasn't eating, it was that he ate so little and with no enthusiasm. Montero had warned him that if he was going to heal and start feeling better, he'd need to get his strength up, which of course meant eating. Kono plopped down in one of Steve's arm chairs and grabbed the TV remote, lazily flicking through channels. Like her cousin, she too had respected Danny's privacy. Only Steve pushed him to talk, but that was different. Danny could tolerate that. He'd have to if he was ever going to be able to function normally again. Eventually, Kono settled on some old western movie. It was a mindless gunslinger cowboy flick that suited Danny. The three teammates stared blankly at the screen while they though thoughts that were entirely their own. After a few minutes, Steve came in and joined them, handing them all a sandwich. Steve figured if Danny had to eat, so should they. For an hour, they sat in silence, their attention directed at the TV. When the end credits came on, Danny spoke up unexpectedly.

"Did Charlie find anything in the box to lead us to Madson?" Three heads whipped towards him. Kono hastily turned off the television.

"Danny, we don't have to talk about this now." Steve replied.

"It's alright. I can't sleep anyway, knowing he's out there. Besides, I know this guy best and maybe I can help." Steve sighed. He'd been hoping to avoid this for a while. Kono glanced at him and Steve nodded.

"Well," she began. "there wasn't much. He's been working on trying to find out how he…" Kono trailed off. Danny smiled at her.

"It's okay, I can handle it. I promise." Danny assured her. She continued, still looking uncomfortable.

"Charlie's working on figuring out how Madson talked to you. We know he somehow transmitted what he was saying through the baby monitor in with you. Charlie had to modify the one we had so it could override Madson's signal and we could talk to you. He's working on figuring out how. He thinks that the circuit board in the monitor might store some sort of data on the transmission it received from Madson." Danny was silent for a moment, absorbing this all.

"Anything else?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, there were some clothing fibers on the wood." Chin said, remembering having spotted it in the corner of the box. "White silk. I thought that was a little weird." At this, Danny frowned.

"White silk is what Madson would dress his victims in. He'd dress them as angels. You know what this means, don't you? He's made another dress. He's got another victim." Danny said, anger coloring his words. Steve furrowed his brows and leaned forward, looking Danny in the eye.

"We don't know that, Danny."

"It's pretty obvious. The only reason he'd have white silk is if he had made one for his next 'angel'."

"I'll start looking through missing persons reports." Kono offered.

"Children. Only children. It'll be girl, between the age of three and fourteen. He leaves a white rose whenever he takes a victim. That's his MO." She nodded and went to get her laptop from the car.

"Danny, are you absolutely sure about this?" Steve asked. He worried that Danny was making something out of nothing, though he'd never say as much.

"Yes." Danny said with conviction. Despite his skepticism, Steve was inclined to believe his partner. Danny was rarely wrong about these things and he trusted his friend's judgment implicitly. Besides, as Danny had mentioned, he knew the most about Madson.

"Okay. We'll see if Kono's search turns up anything."

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It was Grace's first day back at school after she had been placed in protective custody. While it was annoying to be watched at all times by various officers, she enjoyed being out of the house at least. Her visit to her father last night had revived her carefree spirit and she skipped through the halls with her friends as usual. Indeed, throughout the day, she barely noticed HPD's presence at the school. When school ended, she went to the office to wait for the officer that was going to bring her home. After a minute, there was a light tap on her shoulder.

"Miss Williams?" A tall muscular man with brown hair in a blue HPD jacket stood behind her, smiling.

"It's Grace." She huffed, instantly annoyed by the man's overly polite smile and formal title for her. The man smiled even wider at her temerity.

"My apologies, _Grace_. I'm Officer Delancy. I'm going to take you home." Grace arched an eyebrow when the man just stood there. "Are we going to go or what?" she asked. Ordinarily, she would have been polite. After all, these men were her father's friends. However, something about Delancy made Grace instantly distrustful of him. He nodded.

"Right you are, Grace." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled away. They walked out to the car in silence and Grace could feel his eyes on her. She climbed into the front seat of his cruiser and they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Why is your radio off?" she asked. She thought it odd that she didn't hear the normal chatter coming through the speaker.

"It gets annoying after a while. I need to concentrate on getting you home safely and it would just distract me." They took a sharp left turn and Grace unconsciously moved a few inches to the right.

"This isn't the way home."

"Yes it is, honey. We're going home." Delancy promised. Grace frowned and pulled out her phone. Suddenly, there was a prick of cold heat on her neck. Her fingers went lax and the phone tumbled to the floor. Her eyelids felt like lead as she struggled to keep them open. She tried to scream, but she couldn't get her mouth to cooperate. Delancy held an empty syringe in his hand.

"What…what did you do t' me?" she slurred at last.

"Shhh, sleep now, angel. We'll be home soon." Grace's world faded to black.

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They weren't sure whether to be happy or disappointed when Kono's search turned up nothing. They had tweaked the search parameters, but still, no kidnappings had been reported.

"Maybe he hasn't selected a victim yet." Chin suggested.

"No, he's selected one. In the past, he stalked the girl for weeks before taking her. He might not have grabbed her yet, but it's coming." Danny said darkly. Steve had his own laptop in front of him now and was reviewing the cemetery's security footage when his phone rang. Intent on studying a video still of Madson's truck where a partial license plate could be seen, Steve answered, but put it on speaker.

"McGarrett." He answered distractedly. If he could just get a better angle…

"_Steve?_" Rachel's nervous voice drifted through the phone. "_Steve, Grace isn't home yet. I called the officer assigned to pick her up, but he's not answering._" They all tensed, but Danny grabbed the phone first.

"Rachel, what do you mean? Are you saying someone has Grace?" Danny's heart had sped up and fear seized his body.

"_Danny, I…_"

"Rachel you need to tell me right now. Where is Grace?" Danny asked again. Rachel seemed reluctant to tell such a fragile man the damaging news, but concern for her daughter won out.

"_She hasn't come home yet, but school got out an hour ago. I've tried calling her, but she doesn't pick up. The officer who was going to picker her up, Delancy I think, gave me his number. I tried calling him, but he won't answer either!_" Steve remembered Delancy from a case they had worked about a month ago. Good kid, though, like Danny, the man's pale blonde hair and blue eyes looked absurdly out of place in Hawaii. Steve took the phone from Danny's trembling hand.

"Okay, Rachel. We'll handle this. You stay where you are, alright?"

"_Steve…_" she pleaded.

"I know. We'll find her." Steve hung up. Danny was sitting on the couch, close to hyperventilating.

"Shhh, Danny. Calm down, alright? You're okay." Steve soothed gently.

"He has her…Steve, he has her!" Danny cried.

"Hey, we don't know that." Chin and Kono, who had left the room once they had heard the news, ran back in, phones clenched in white knuckled grips. Chin spoke first.

"I called Duke. They can't get ahold of Delancy by cell of radio."

"Steve, they found a white rose on the steps of Grace's school." Kono added, her eyes wide.

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Stumbling on wobbly legs, Grace felt herself being led into a small cottage. She didn't know where they were, but it was humid and smelled of earth and salty air. The cottage itself had no windows and her foggy mind lost track of all the turns they took through the hallways. Soon, she found herself in what looked like a kid's bedroom. The pink walls swam before her. Gently, the man she had surmised not to be Delancy laid her on the bed. She tried to get away from him, but her attempts were ineffectual.

"Shhh, angel. It's alright now. You're home." The man crooned, smoothing hair back from her forehead.

"N-no." she moaned, twisting away from him. "Don't touch me. Ge' away." She lashed out weakly, but her thin wrists were seized by two enormous hands.

"Grace, stop fighting me."

"No!" she said with as much conviction as she could muster. Clarity was returning as the drug wore off. She fought harder and harder to get away from him. The man sighed as he pinned her down.

"You are so like your father, angel. I'll have to fix that." He was silent a beat, then smiled. "I wonder if you're alike in more ways than one." Grace was fighting him tooth and nail now and he had to actually work to restrain her. When he finally pinned her in a headlock, he opened a small hatch in the floor that had been hidden beneath a pink rug. Gently, but firmly, he carried her wriggling body down a flight of stairs into a dark cellar.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"Grace, you really need to mind me better." When she continued to squirm and kick, he dragged her to a small room at the end of the hall and threw her in, locking the door with a padlock. Her pounding and muffled screams could be heard. "When you're ready to behave, you can come out, Grace." When the pounding didn't stop, he continued. "I know it seems mean, but I'm doing this to help you, angel. You don't have to be scared. Just ask Danno."

**So…whatcha guys think? By the way, I am in no way a technical genius, so if any of the stuff about the baby monitor is wrong or impossible, I'm sorry. I'm kind of lost in techland. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hmmm, more snow. I'm getting so sick of it. Well, since the weather outside is frightful, Mitch and I will reschedule our Olive Garden run and write you all something delightful. It's so cute how he talks to my tummy. There's no baby bump yet (there won't be for a while), but he still talks to our little one all the time. Tonight he put his headphones on my belly and he's playing the best of 70s and 80s rock. He's gonna be such a good daddy :) Anyway, here's another chapter. I'll type up the next chapter for Jersey Style tomorrow and send it off to wonderful Jersey consultant so it should be ready soon.**

The room swam sickeningly around Danny as he struggled for breath. Madson had Grace. He had taken his daughter. Images of the past victims flashed through his mind, each one morphing into Grace. Dimly, he was aware of hands on him, guiding him gently to the couch as he tried to get his breathing under control. Sound cut in and out and he caught snatches of voices.

"-anny!...calm dow-….-ust breathe." Steve's voice commanded. Gradually, Danny felt his lungs fall back into an acceptable rhythm. "That's it, Danno. Just breathe." Steve soothed.

"Steve!" Danny gasped, gripping the front of his friend's shirt in ice cold hands. "Grace…" To his credit, Steve met Danny's panicked eyes and stared into them. It hurt Steve too just how much pain and suffering he saw in the bright blue orbs.

"I know Danny, I know. Look at me. Look in my eyes. Listen to me, okay? I made you a promise. I promised I would do everything to protect Grace and you know me, I never go back on a promise. I'm going to find her and I'm going to kill this son of a bitch. I'm not going to let him kill Grace. You said that Madson kept the others alive for a few days, right? That means we have a little time. Time to find her. I'll get her back, Danny. I swear to you, I'll get her home safe." After a moment, Danny nodded, still trembling. Steve held eye contact for a few seconds longer, then went to Chin and Kono, who had been on the phone since the news had come in. Danny remained on the couch, trying to control his rising panic.

"What do we have?" he asked, going into Commander Mode. Right now he couldn't be concerned Uncle Steve. Grace needed cool and collected Commander McGarrett.

"I had the schools security footage sent to me." Chin began, going over to his laptop and logging onto his email. Once he had located the email, he played the video. The officer that walked into the school and exited a few minutes later with Grace was most definitely not Delancy, but Madson instead. Beyond that, the footage told them nothing.

"Steve, I've got Fong tracing Delancy's cell. Rachel said he wasn't answering, but I called her and she said that when she called, it was ringing, so it's on wherever it is." Steve nodded. Chin stood up from his laptop.

"Just tried locating Delancy's cruiser from the LoJack, but it looks like Madson disabled it." Chin explained.

"Damn it." Steve muttered softly. Just then, Kono's phone rang. She answered it, immediately putting it on speaker.

"Charlie, please tell me you've got something." Kono said without preamble.

"_I've got a lock on Delancy's phone. It's at 3225 Harding Avenue. It's really close to the school_."

"Good work, Charlie." Kono replied, hanging up. They had all started for their cars when Danny got to his feet.

"Danny, where are you going? You just got out of the hospital." Steve said, trying to push Danny back to the couch.

"I am not staying here." Danny said, his voice dangerous. "That is _my_ daughter out there and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit on the couch and be helpless. Either I come with you, or I find another ride. Your choice." Danny's eyes silently challenged Steve. Knowing that it was either take him with and keep an eye on him, or let Danny go off by himself where he could potentially do more harm to himself, Steve gave in and nodded. Without a word, reached into the bag he had gotten from Charlie and handed Danny his gun and badge. They had been left in the car when Danny had been taken.

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The dark was oppressive and the room was tiny, but Grace forced herself not to cry. While Grace had understood her mother's reasons for keeping her out of the loop on what had happened to her father, Grace couldn't remain ignorant while her Danno's life was in danger. She had eavesdropped silently on the hushed conversations in the house and she knew what had happened to her father. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that the man who had her now was the same man who had put Danno in the hospital and she let her anger overpower her fear. This man wanted her to be afraid, to submit to him, but Grace had never been one to just roll over and give in. Her father had taught her that much. So once she had realized what was going on, she had stopped pounding on the door and screaming. Taking deep, calming breaths, she sat down and closed her eyes. She smiled. He had thought the dark would scare her. Now she had made the darkness hers. This man did not know her. He did not know what she truly feared. If Danno could be strong, the so could she. Determined to keep a level head, she directed her thoughts to lazy summer evenings at Uncle Steve's, gathered around the fire pit with her Ohana, sitting on her father's lap. The memory warmed her and created a light that could never be extinguished.

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The Silverado screeched to a halt at the address Fong had given them and they all burst out of the car. It was an ordinary residential street corner. Construction equipment was strewn around from the house being built down the street, but it was abandoned for the evening. Steve held up a hand for silence and dialed Delancy's number. At first, they heard nothing, then a faint hum reached their ears. They moved towards the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from the inside of one of the dump truck beds, the vibrations rattling against the metal sides. Steve hoisted himself up into the mass of construction debris and was greeted with the sight of Delancy's unmoving body, partially hidden beneath a slab of chipboard. Throwing the wood off, Steve checked for a pulse, surprised to find a weak, but still there beat beneath his fingers.

"Chin! Call for an ambulance. I've got Delancy. He's a live, but it looks like he took a pretty bad blow to the head. Once Chin had called for help, they all waited, hoping Delancy would be able to wake up and give them some answers before it was too late.

**For all of you worrying about me hurting Grace, I promise, I won't. I'm not into beating on kids. Just Steve and Danny. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Winter. I am so done with it. Like seriously, we've been in a constant blizzard warning all season. Right now the wind is making it a whiteout, so my boss gave me permission to stay home today as long as a finish a few reports, which took like no time at all. I figured I'd use this time to write you guys another chapter. Mitch is home with me too since his boss was thinking along the same lines as mine. Ahhh, writing with the hubby. It doesn't get much better. I can't believe that on Monday we'll be married one month! Time flies, though it's nice that things are starting to slow down. Anyway, enjoy! **

A smile tugged at the corners of Grace's lips. She could hear Madson pacing in frustration, his heavy footsteps echoing on the floor above her. _Good_, she thought. Let him get upset. She knew he hated that his captive would not submit to him, would not succumb to the fear. For the first time, Madson wasn't in control, and Grace knew that that scared him. Funny how he was the only afraid. In the dark of the tiny room, Grace had no concept of time. How long had she been down here? Hours? Days? She knew that as long as she was down here, no food or water would be provided. A flutter of fear passed through her, but she shoved it away with vicious determination. She had to be strong. Closing her eyes and taking a deep cleansing breath, she let her mind wander to a happier time.

_The bright sunshine beamed down from the clear blue sky, warming her skin and melting the ice cream cone in her right hand. In her left, she held her mother's hand. A small drop of the strawberry cream dripped onto her father's shoulder where she sat. If Danno noticed, he didn't show. Once she had finished her treat, her sticky, idle hands found their way to the sun glasses on her father's face. Grinning broadly, she pulled on them onto her own face, causing her mother to laugh. It was a beautiful sound, that laugh, happy and genuine. _

_"Danny, wait up a moment. I just have to get a picture of this!" Hugging her dad under his chin, Grace put on her most dazzling smile. Once the camera had clicked, her mother held it up so they could see picture. Their laughter swirled around them, making the sun seem brighter and the world seem safer. Hand in hand with her mom once more, Grace directed her father towards the ocean. As they strolled lazily down the boardwalk, her parents hummed the tune to song that made them both smile and share loving looks. Grace's heart swelled at the sight of them. This was just what they had all needed. A break from the tiny apartment in the city. It wasn't a long vacation, but Grace wished it could last forever. Here, there were no fights over money or the danger of her father's job. Here, they were a family._

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"How is he?" Steve asked the doctor who had been treating Delancy.

"About as good as we can expect." The man replied honestly. "He is not only severely concussed, but there is significant swelling of the brain. At this stage, we're not going to operate as that could only make things worse." Steve blew out his cheeks and scrubbed a hand over his unshaven face.

"Do you have any idea when he'll wake up?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Commander. It's all up to Officer Delancy right now. Head injuries are tricky and inconsistent. Why do you need to talk to him anyway?"

"A little girl's been kidnapped by someone impersonating Delancy. We need to know if he can tell us anything that could lead us to the kidnapper." The doctor nodded in understanding.

"I see. As I said, there's no way to tell when he'll wake up or what state of mind he'll be in, but I will call you as soon as we know something."

"Thanks. I appreciate that, Doc." The doctor smiled, then left Steve to go finish his work. Steve closed his eyes for a moment, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen. Danny was on edge already, but telling him about Delancy's uncertain future would destroy his hopes of finding Grace. He was about to go out into the waiting room again to give his teammates the news when his phone rang.

"McGarrett." He answered tersely.

"_Steve,_" Duke's voice replied, equally as tense, "_we found something that I think you might want to see._"

"What is it?"

"_During the door to door questioning of the people in the neighborhood where you found Delancy, we discovered a car that doesn't seem to belong to any of the residents. When we popped the trunk, we found white fibers, a dirty shovel, and a baby monitor._" Realization hit Steve.

"Wait…oh my God, that's gotta be Madson's car." Steve was already on his feet, heading out towards the others.

"_That's what we were thinking. We haven't disturbed anything, but I did call Fong._"

"Alright, thanks Duke. We'll be there soon." Steve hung up and sprinted out into the waiting room. Immediately, Chin, Kono, and Danny all stood up.

"What did Delancy say?" Danny asked before Steve could say anything.

"He's not awake yet, but right one we've got an even better lead, I'll explain on the way." Steve said, running out to his car. Once they were all in, Steve told them what Duke had found.

"It's gotta be Madson's. There's no other explanation. He ditched his car to take Delancy's cruiser." Chin reasoned. The other's nodded in agreement. Five minutes later, they pulled up next to the battered Dodge Stratus. It wasn't much, just an old, white car that had to be nearly two decades old. Fong was already there, carefully going over the wheels.

"Charlie, you got something?" Danny asked. Fong's head shot up and he shot Steve a concerned, questioning look before turning back to Danny.

"Danny, what are you doing here? Didn't you just get out of the hospital?" Danny waved his good hand dismissively.

"Please tell me you've got something that will lead us to Grace." Danny's tone was desperate.

"I haven't had a chance to go over the whole car yet, but look at the dirt on theses tires. You won't find this stuff in Honolulu. I'm going to take a sample and see if I can get a general area of where this car's been driving." Steve nodded and went to the trunk. Danny tried to follow him, but Steve put his hand on Danny's shoulder.

"No. Not this. You don't need to see this." Steve said firmly. Danny was barely coping and Steve knew that the shovel and baby monitor might be enough to cut his partner's last ties to sanity. "You think I can't see how much this is messing you up? I know you wanna find Grace, and we will, but you pushing yourself too much too fast isn't going to help us and it certainly isn't going to help her. I'm going to take a quick look back there, see if anything jumps out, then Charlie's gonna take it all with him."

"Steve, I need to…" Danny trailed off. _I need to do something. I need to be useful._

"I know, Danny. Believe me. Now, you're finger's look pretty swollen. I don't think that running around like crazy with a broken arm is following the doctor's instructions, but we'll let it slide so long as you go grab an ice pack from the trucks first aid kit." Steve said kindly, offering Danny a reassuring smile. Once Danny was safely away, Steve circled back to the trunk. His heart froze in his chest as the image of Danny lying so still in that box came to his mind. Strips of white silk lay beneath a rusty old shovel covered in dirt. Blood stained the tip. _Probably Delancy's_, Steve thought grimly. A light blue baby monitor was thrown in the corner. Steve resisted the urge to destroy the object through which Madson had whispered soft words that had nearly driven his best friend to madness. Feeling sick at the sight, he turned away from the car.

**Well, next week the show returns. Hopefully, this next episode brings back some of the show's old flair. Danny's mom is supposed to make an appearance with some shocking news. And episode 19 is supposed to be a whumper for either Steve or Danny that's supposed to be heavy on the bromance. Fingers crossed!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry! I didn't mean to take two weeks to update! I've been super busy with this new comprehensive report/research project that the hospital I work at is doing. It has been extremely involved and time consuming. Good news is, it looks like we're nearly done with it and I can get back to writing!**

***Spoilers for 4.16* I _hated_ this episode. I mean, seriously, what were they thinking? Sorry to those of you who liked it, but I was disappointed. That touchy feely talk between Steve and Grover should have been with Danny instead. Ok, and I've already expressed my displeasure with Danny's mom's character, but I was even more displeased with the fact that Steve went behind Danny's back in a move that could have put Danny's mom in danger. Out of character much? I would think Steve would be extra sensitive after all the attempts on his own mom's life. Not to mention how Steve lied to the Chinese woman and gave the flash drive to the guy at the end. That seemed to me to go against his morals and beliefs. Anyway, that's my thoughts. Here's chapter 16!**

Steve frowned. For the last hour they had been waiting back at HQ for Fong to report his findings from the car and for the last hour, Danny had done nothing but stare blankly ahead of him. It was unnatural, seeing Danny so still. Even worse than the stillness was the _silence_. Danny was never silent and the quiet shook Steve to his core. A few times he had tried to talk to his partner, but Danny never answered. Even when Steve placed a pillow and some icepacks around Danny's broken arm, the man remained unresponsive. For now, Danny's thoughts were his own and that scared Steve. Anyone with half a brain could tell that Danny wasn't sleeping and Steve knew for a fact that he wasn't eating either. Finally, Steve couldn't take it anymore. Pulling up a chair in front of Danny, he sat down and bent his head so he could look Danny in the eye.

"Danny?" Steve asked gently. When Danny gave no indication that he had heard Steve, he tried again. "Hey, Danny, you with me?" Steve placed his hands on Danny's legs and gave them a small shake.

"Wha'? Steve? How long you been there?" Danny asked dazedly.

"A while. It's catching up with you, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Everything. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You're exhausted, both emotionally and physically, and recovering from some serious injuries not to mention severe psychological trauma."

"I…it's nothing. I'm managing."

"Don't do that. Please, Danny. Not with me."

"Look, Steve. Right now, this doesn't matter. _Grace_ matters."

"Yes she does, but so do you. How do you expect to face Madson like this, huh? This is not what Grace needs. She needs her Danno. So talk to me, if not for yourself, then for Grace." Steve all but begged. Danny paused a second to consider Steve's offer.

"What if…what if he's doing the same thing to her? What if my baby's down there somewhere? And what if I can't save her?" Danny asked brokenly.

"Hey, listen to me, Danny. We are going to save her. You're going to save her. And let's think about this logically, alright? You know Madson the best out of all of us. Is he methodical? A stickler for tradition and ritual? Does he stick to his MO?"

"Yes." Danny answered tentatively.

"Then we have no reason to believe that he'll change this time. So far, he's doing the same thing he's done every time, which means we have a little time yet to find her." Danny nodded, staring down at his feet.

"I don't know if I can do this." He mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I can face him. I don't know if I can be what she needs. What if I lose her because of that? What if she becomes just another victim on Max's table?"

"Enough with the 'what ifs'. You're stronger than you think, but if you can't do it, there's not a damn thing wrong with that. You just suffered severe emotional stress and trauma. Most men would be in a rubber room right now, but not you. Still, if this is too much, remember that you're not alone. You've got me. You've got Chin, Kono, Max, Duke, Charlie, HPD, and every other law enforcement officer in the state on your side. No matter what happens, you've got us and we won't let or Grace down ever." Slowly, Danny looked up to see fierce loyalty and determination in Steve's eyes.

"Thanks." Danny whispered.

"Anytime, Danny. You know that." Danny smiled as Steve's cell rang.

"McGarrett."

"_Steve, you guys better get down here._" Charlie's voice drifted through the speaker to Danny's ears and he was up before Steve.

"On our way."

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"Charlie!" Danny yelled, skidding to a halt in front of the young man.

"Danny, I think I may be able to narrow down where Madson has Grace. The car may be old, but I was able to figure out how long the last trip was. Also, by analyzing the dirt on the tires and in the floor mats, I've determined that this car was frequently driving in and out of Round Top Forest Reserve. Problem is, that's a huge area. However, since there are no unauthorized structures allowed on the reserve, I would call the rangers there and ask if they've gotten any reports." Chin nodded and excused himself to make the call.

"Good work, Charlie." Steve said as his phone started ringing again. After a moment, he hung up. "That was Delancy's doctor. He was conscious briefly. Long enough to say that he remembers and overwhelming smell of lilac. Does that mean anything to anybody?"

"Yeah, actually it does." Chin said excitedly after ending his own call. "I just spoke with a ranger who says unauthorized buildings are a huge problem, but there have been reports from hikers that lilac, which we all know is not indigenous to Hawaii, has been growing in a specific area. The ranger just texted me the GPS coordinates. He also says he believes there may be a structure of some sort there, hidden by some dense trees." Danny's eyes were wide.

"Steve, Grace! She's gotta be…"

"I know, buddy, I know. Alright," Steve said, turning to face the rest of his team members. "this is how we're going to do this. HPD will be on standby, but for right now, we'll go in quietly. We don't want to scare him. Once we confirm he's there, is we can, we'll take him down and free Grace. If not, we'll call for backup. Everybody good?" They all nodded. "Let's get Gracie back."

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"Burn your fears in the eyes of death

collapsing dreams, dominating power

summoning lightning storms under silent breath

burning the weak under the church bell tower.

Armies of god rumbling in the distance

through the forest seeking my radiance

shining into lost souls of the all mighty one

dark rivers of blood streaming toward the sun .

Sun rises full of memories , enchanted stories

as carcasses disintegrate into the earth's crust

death became my living glory

until I meet my fate I'll be swirling up the dust.

Taking satanic rituals into society's eyes

re-writing the holy book of lies

creating a new path for man kind

where only honor you can find." His words chilled her as they drifted through the door. The way he spoke each haunting stanza made the darkness seem worse.

"Had enough yet, Angel?" he asked. Stubborn as ever, Grace refused to respond. Madson sighed heavily. "Have it your way. You'll come around soon enough."

**Sorry for any inaccuracies, I'm not an expert in cars, Hawaii, or plants.**

**Ok, so for those of you who want spoilers for the rest of the season, here's what I've been able to find out. I've talked a bit about how episode nineteen is supposed to be a whumper and this is a direct quote from my source "As the team investigates a tip about a guns deal going down inside a parking garage, a bomb implodes the entire structure – with some of Five-0 inside. One person is badly hurt, oxygen's running low." I believe this to be a Danny whump episode because, for all you Steve whumpers out there, this is what I've found on episode 21: "[Steve and Catherine] will trade their island paradise for the Middle East's landlocked country during episode 21. Thanks to TV Guide , it has now been confirmed that both the Navy SEAL and the former Navy intelligence officer will feature in the episode. Titled 'Makani' and set to air as the penultimate episode of season 4, TV Line states that the Afghanistan story line will feature flashbacks to Rollins' time in the armed forces, a 'big, dramatic' romantic arc, and an injury for Steve." Hopefully, this helps you know what episodes you might want to tune in to. No promises on the accuracy of my info, but at least it's something!**


	17. Chapter 17

**So, it's like 40 degrees here, which means that all the snow in my yard is now melting, creating an actual lake in my driveway. I'm not kidding when I say that Mitch duct taped pool noodles to the bottom of our niece's sled and rode his makeshift boat to our mailbox. Oh, the joys of Spring. *sigh* Oh well. Here's another chapter for ya'll. I plan to write an update for Jersey Style tomorrow.**

The tension in the air was palpable as the crept silently through the humid forest. Steve kept a close eye on Danny, worrying over the slump in his partner's shoulders and the slight tremble in his limbs. They had reached the approximate area where the Forest Ranger had said the lilac had been reported. Chin walked in front, holding out a thermal imaging camera so he could see any hidden structures. Close behind, Steve and Danny followed, with Kono bringing up the rear. Though they could see nothing to indicate that they had found Madson's hideout, Danny stopped abruptly, holding out a hand.

"You smell that?" he whispered. They paused, each taking an experimental whiff.

"Lilac." Chin said softly. Danny furrowed his brows.

"There's more…smells like…shit. Is that gasoline?" he asked. Steve's eyes widened when he remembered how Madson had burned down his house the last time he had been cornered. Following the scent, it wasn't long before they came across a small wooden shack that reeked of gasoline. Guns drawn, Steve kicked in the door and they rushed into the house. Seated on the floor in a puddle next to a gas can, was Madson. He smiled.

"Long time, no see Danny." Danny was quivering with rage, but he didn't go for his gun. Even in his anger, he knew that if he fired a shot, the entire place would likely explode.

"Where is she?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Grace is learning what happens to little girls who don't listen." Madson laughed and pulled out a lighter. Flicking it on and off, he appraised Danny.

"Aww, Danno. You don't look so good." When Danny didn't move, Madson held the lighter out and dropped it on the floor. "Oops." He said with an evil smile. Flames sprang up along the walls. Seeing an opportunity, Danny launched himself at Madson. Chin and Kono set to work trying to battle the flames.

"Where is she you son of a bitch! Where's my daughter?" Danny roared, picking Madson up by the throat and slamming him into the wall with a strength he didn't know he possessed. Madson simply laughed, a harsh strangled sound as Danny's fingers closed around his trachea.

"She was my most beautiful angel." He rasped. Danny's grip tightened.

"Danny, stop!" Steve yelled, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We need him alive to tell us where Grace is!"

"He won't talk. I can see it in his eyes." Danny said, his voice shaking.

"Do it. You have to kill me. I put you down there. I took your daughter from you and you'll never see her again! Kill me! DO IT!" Madson choked, his lips turning blue. Danny's arm shook for a moment, then he released his vice-like grip. Madson fell to the floor, coughing and heaving in breaths.

"No." he said shakily. "I'm not you. I'm done letting you control me." With that, Danny turned on his heel and walked away.

"You won't find her! Not without me!" Madson screamed desperately, but Steve shut him up with a vicious blow to the temple. With utter disgust written on his face, he cuffed the man who had tortured his brother and taken what the man treasured above all else.

"I'll go look outside and see if I can find her." Steve offered, running out the door.

"GRACE!" Danny bellowed. "Grace, where are you!" He shouted her name over and over as he ran through every room of the small house. Finally, he reached the end of the hall. Throwing the door open, he entered what looked like a little girl's bedroom. The closet doors were open and Danny could see a white dress hanging up. His stomach lurched. "GRACE!"

"Danno!" It was barely audible, but it was definitely there.

"Grace, baby where are you?" Her reply was too muffled to make out the words, so Danny began tearing apart the room. It wasn't until he tripped over the rug that he discovered the hidden trapped door. Throwing the rug aside, he opened the door. Below him, a steep staircase descended into a dark, narrow hallway. Danny's heart sped up.

"Danno!" Grace called, her voice louder this time. She was definitely down there.

"I'm comin' Monkey, just hold on!" Taking a deep breath he entered the darkness. Immediately, it felt as though the walls were closing in on him. He was back in that box, suffocating. Hyperventilating now, felt himself grow dizzy.

"Danno, please!" Grace's anguished words cut through his panic. Pushing it all aside, he pressed on. As he felt his way along the walls, his hands hit a switch and several dim bulbs flickered on. Now that he could see, Danny ran to the door at the end of the hall. He could hear Grace pounding on it from the other side. Throwing the deadbolt open, he burst into the room.

"Grace!" suddenly, she was in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. "Grace, Grace, Grace." He whispered over and over, stroking her sweaty hair.

"Danno." She choked out, holding him tighter than she ever had, even tighter than when she had been taken by Rick Peterson. Neither was sure how long they had been sitting there, but Steve's voice reached them.

"Danny? Grace?" he shouted, fear evident in his voice. His loud footsteps echoed down the hall.

"In here!" Danny called. A moment later, Steve was at their side, helping them up.

"Come on, we gotta go. The house is gonna collapse any second! Here, breathe through these." He said, handing them small strips of cloth. With Grace in his arms, Danny ran after Steve. When they reached the main floor, the smoke was so thick that they had to keep their eyes shut and find their way out by memory. When at last they made it out, they collapsed in a heap on the forest floor. Instantly, they all came together in one massive embrace. Danny held Grace close to his chest and Steve wrapped his strong arm protectively around them both. Soon, Chin and Kono had joined in. Dimly, they were aware that HPD had arrived, but not one officer dared to disrupt their reunion. After a time, they broke apart, cheeks damp with tears.

"Where…where's Madson?" Danny asked quietly.

"Dead." Steve spat. "Coward came to when I wasn't looking and threw himself into the fire." Despite the venom in his words, Steve was relieved. Madson had done enough damage already. In silence, they watched the small shack burn. Grace, exhausted, began to drift off in her father's arms. A paramedic, one familiar to Five-0, knelt down beside them. Without moving her, he gently began to assess Grace's condition.

"Danny?" the medic asked quietly. "She's alright, but she's exhausted, dehydrated, and I found what looks like a needle mark on her neck. I need to take her to the hospital, okay? I promise I'll take good care of her. You can stay with me the whole time." Danny nodded. With tender care, Grace was placed on a stretcher.

"Come on, Danny. Let's go to the hospital." Steve said quietly, helping Danny to his feet. Once upright, he swayed a little. He managed one step before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto Steve. The last thing he heard before it all faded away was Steve shouting for another medic.

**Short chapter, but I hope it was okay. We've got one more chapter left of this one, then I focus solely on Jersey Style until it's finished. I feel like I've really neglected that one. Once that's done, I have two awesome ideas for fics. Now I just have to decide which one I want to commit to first…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Alrighty, I think this is going to be the last chapter of this fic, but I'll see how it goes. Hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

He awoke with a start, heart pounding wildly in his chest, blue eyes wide and terrified. A large hand grasped his shoulder tightly, but instead of fear, the hand offered him comfort.

"Easy, Danno." A familiar hushed voice soothed. "It's over now. Everything's alright." Steve's reassuring smile put him at ease. No matter what, he knew Steve would never lie to him. Indeed, things did seem to be relatively alright, despite the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed. He glanced down and saw Grace, small, but unharmed, curled into his chest. Rachel lay half on a chair and half on the bed, her arm draped protectively over her daughter. Chin and Kono slept in similar positions to Rachel near his feet. To his left sat Steve. He was the only one besides Danny who was awake, although exhaustion was clearly written in the lines on his face. Nonetheless, Steve looked genuinely happy.

"Hey." Danny whispered. It seemed an inadequate greeting after everything that had happened recently, but his foggy mind refused to provide anything better.

"Hey. How ya feelin', man?" Danny paused to think for a moment. He was tired, to be sure, and his arm was suspiciously numb, telling him that there were some pretty strong painkiller's at work. Despite all that, he felt good.

"Better. What happened? I remember getting' Grace out, but after that…" Danny trailed off.

"We got out just in time. The house collapsed on itself."

"Madson?"

"Dead. Actually dead this time. I made damn sure. Max found a body and he did multiple DNA and dental record identity confirmations. It's him alright."

"Good. So, why am I in the hospital?"

"A combination of things. All that running around just after being released from the hospital did number on your system. You literally worked yourself to the point of exhaustion. You were severely dehydrated too."

"Really? Huh. Guess I didn't really notice."

"You passed out just after the house collapsed. An ambulance brought you and Grace here where they got you on a few IVs. Oh, and they had go in and fix up your arm. Your bones shifted again so the doctors had to surgically realign them and put a new cast on. You should've seen your fingers. They were so swollen you couldn't bend them." Danny nodded.

"And Grace?"

"No broken arm, but other than that, she was in pretty much the same boat as you. Dehydration and exhaustion. They also found a needle mark on her neck, but they found nothing in her system. He probably just administered a sedative of some sort. She'll be fine."

"How is she?" Danny asked, and Steve knew he wasn't referring to her physical well-being. He sighed.

"She's definitely your daughter, pal. Tough as nails and stronger than anyone I've ever met. She was awake earlier and we had a little talk. I'm not saying that she's a hundred percent okay, but she will be."

"She always was the bravest kid out there." Danny muttered affectionately, pulling Grace closer.

"So what about you? And no bullshit." Steve asked.

"It's…it's a lot to deal with, but I'll get through it. Grace is gonna need me and I owe her as much to be there for her. I guess this is one of those 'one step at a time' things."

"And you got us. You got me, Danny. I'm in your corner all the way, just like you were for me."

"I know that now…and I can't thank you enough."

"Don't thank me. It's what partners do. You taught me that."

H

5

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Epilogue

The night air crackled with life and all around them, laughter swirled in the breeze. Their eyes, like the stars above, sparkled with a new light. Gathered around a blazing fire in the stone pit on the lanai, they shared smiles and stories. A man sat next to his daughter with his hand on her shoulder. The little girl smiled broadly as she sat between her two parents, reunited as a family. To the man's left, sat his friend, his brother by bond, not blood. They had an arm around each other, their eyes alight with joy. Behind the two of them, stood a tall, slender woman and strong, yet gentle man. With silly smiles, they popped their heads in just above their friends. On the ground in front of them all, sat two young men in loudly patterned Hawaiian shirts. The shorter man with glasses smiled awkwardly, but genuinely as he high-fived the other man.

"On three everybody!" The man with the camera shouted. "One…Two…Three!"

"Ohana!" eight voices chorused in unison.

The photo stood to remind them who they were and what they had. On the back, they each scrawled their names.

Danny, Rachel, Grace, Steve, Chin, Kono, Max, and Charlie.

Below those names, written in a child's hand, was a simple saying:

"Ohana means family."

As Danny fitted the photo into a frame and placed it on his desk, he remembered that it was family that had brought him out of the darkest depths to greet the light of his truly wonderful life.

**Was that ending too cheesy? Sorry if you thought so! My sister and I spent the day watching a Nicholas Sparks movie marathon, so I might be a little on the corny side today! Anyway, that's it! Hope ya'll liked it!**


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